Noel Thompson, Freelance Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

Chairman of the western arm of the Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ), Lee Bailey, wants the Government to cease granting licences for the construction of all-inclusive hotels on the island, as more hotels could lead to the wiping out of small hoteliers.

Mr. Bailey said that, within another two years, 7,000 new rooms will be coming on stream and, based on his information, these rooms will be all-inclusive in addition to what already exists on the island.

This means that 80 per cent of the rooms will be all-inclusive.

"It means that Jamaica will be selling a purely all-inclusive concept to the international market. The new hotels will see people gravitating to them because that's human nature," Mr. Bailey argued.

"It will affect the other all-inclusive hotels which already exist. They will see their numbers dwindle. The newer properties will offer certain incentives and this will put the existing ones in a vice."

Houses for staff

He said he had learned that employers of the larger hotels are planning to house their staff in some of the smaller properties due to the housing shortage. His concern is the single concept on which Jamaica will be marketed.

"What needs to be done is for the authorities to add other elements to the tourism industry that will provide choices. That is to ensure a balance with the European Plan (EP) rooms," the businessman continued.

"With the three million tourists that have visited our island, I don't see the restaurants, taxi operators and other small players in the industry benefiting. The EP hotels would create that balance."

Alluding to the fact that Jamaicans make the tourism product what it is and not the hotels, Bailey is suggesting that the authorities take a serious look at the ingredients he said were required to have a complete tourism product, including hotels of all types, attractions, transportation, restaurants and casinos.

Managing director of the Wexford Court Hotel, Wongford Lewis, said he believed the contention mainly surrounds room rates, as against all-inclusive.

"The newer hotels are offering all-inclusive packages at very low rates and their competitors are hurting from that," he noted.