WE WELCOME news that immigration facilities at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay and the Norman Manley International airport in Kingston are being upgraded, with priority attention being paid to the former through which the majority of visitors to the island make their entrance. This upgrading exercise appears to be a timely response to a call for its implementation made by the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association which is expecting a bumper tourist season this year.
In addition to upgraded computer technology, the new measures at Sangster airport include the posting of recently-trained immigration personnel at eight additional stations to deal with the expected increased flow of incoming passengers. There will also be six officers assigned to deal exclusively with outgoing passengers as well as mobile units available to cope with unexpected peaks in arrivals.
First impressions are important in any relationship and the professionalism and friendliness with which immigration officers perform their duties will go a far way in reinforcing the decision of tourists to pick Jamaica as their vacation destination. Immigration officers can make or break the reaction of visitors to the island and even while extending a courteous greeting to all, immigration officers, also carry the serious responsibility for monitoring Jamaican airports for felons trying to flee the island and terrorists whose name and identities have been posted on warning lists.
Immigration services suffered considerably last winter season when inadequately trained officers were trying to cope with computerisation of the system, a situation which resulted in long delays for incoming and outgoing passengers.
Of course improvement to immigration services at the airports should be as much beneficial to locals as to visitors. Jamaicans who have to travel for business or pleasure, also need to be able to move through the airports with minimum delays. Greater efficiency at the airport is but one important link in the chain of improved productivity that the country so desperately needs. So even as the authorities take steps to move visitors through the airports quickly, they need also to examine other aspects of business in the facilities, including the handling of luggage and the administrative processes which have to be addressed by Customs personnel.
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