The Editor, Sir:

There are some of us in Government who just sit and wait on excuses to justify failure. The recent decline of tourist arrivals proves my first statement. I have seen all the excuses, some of which are not new, being presented by the Minister of Tourism, which now means she has run out of ideas.

It is the Minister's responsibility to find innovative ways around global challenges such as these, and to present to the people of Jamaica, a plan outlining the way forward.

The people of Jamaica will not accept the excuses of U.S. passport requirement along with late winter tourist season, when we saw no indication of any new initiatives being introduced, to address the decline in visitor arrivals.

It is time for the Minister to provide solutions to a problem that is not going away, and stop holding on to these kinds of excuses for dear life. This clearly proves that the Minister and her ministry are not ready for the changes being faced in the global tourist industry. They must remember that they have an obligation to preserve brand Jamaicathat was so widely promoted some time before. The people of Jamaica expect the Government to be on top of the game and to find ways around obstacles.

Please tell us Minister, if you and your team are up to the job or we should find someone else who can.

I am, etc.,

ELIZABETH B. HARLEY

elizabethbharley@yahoo.co.uk