Garwin Davis, Gleaner Writer

TATHAM

Despite its growing crime problem, Montego Bay has been closing in rapidly on Ocho Rios as the preferred cruise destination and could do so in the coming years, tourism interests say.

They note that while Ocho Rios continues "to fiddle with its toes," unable to sort out the problem with berthing space to accommodate the cruise ships, Montego Bay has been slowly "putting all the right mechanisms in place" and "is now only a whisker away" from being the first call port for the cruise lines locally.

"There was a time when this would have been inconceivable but not anymore," said Sanju Chatani, owner of the Hard Rock Café in Ocho Rios. "There was a time when Montego Bay would only get the ships that Ocho Rios couldn't accommodate as we were seen as the prized destination. Those days seem long gone, with Montego Bay now on the verge of capitalising on our missteps. The crime situation there is the only concern but that too I am sure they will solve in due course."

Harassment Problem

Businesswoman Asha Issa agreed. "If we are not careful, we will lose what we have; it is as simple as that," she said. "The Montegonians, to their credit, have taken time out to address their problems where they now appear to be better organised. They have taken the time to address the problem of harassment on the Gloucester Avenue hip strip and other prescribed tourist areas. The result is that the cruise lines are very happy with them and will have no problem rewarding them with ships. We hardly have any time to waste here in Ocho Rios; if we don't clean up our act we will lose the ships, it is that simple."

Impressed

William Tatham, the general manger in charge of cruise shipping for the Port Authority, told Ocho Rios business interests last week that he was impressed with Montego Bay's approach to tourism, noting that the cruise lines have been taking notice and were impressed. "It is your town," he commented. "The Port Authority is not responsible for cleaning up the town, you are. It is you who will have to decide what it is that you want. If the ships cannot come to Ocho Rios then they will go to Montego Bay ... that's just the way it is." He noted that the new Royal Caribbean mega liner, Freedom of the Seas, once considered a lock for Ocho Rios, could now be heading for Montego Bay.

Robert Fisher, a Montego Bay businessman, said that while there was never a rivalry between the two towns in terms of cruise shipping, "the business people in this town have learnt from Ocho Rios what not to do to mess up our tourism sector. There was a time when the business people here would go to Ocho Rios to set up shops," he said.

"We don't have to do that anymore because the ships are now coming to us. We have had a major anti-harassment drive where we worked with the police to clean up the tourist prescribed areas. We have also improved big time on our aesthetic appeal where we are a lot more visitor friendly nowadays. The one big problem we have now is the crime issue; that we will have to solve in a hurry."