Immediate past president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, Horace Peterkin (left), presents the coveted Hotelier of the Year award to Louis Grant, general manager of Sandals Dunn's River, during the close of that association's annual general meeting at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort and Spa in Ocho Rios yesterday. - Photo by Janet Silvera

Janet Silvera, Senior Tourism Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

Following a meeting with British Airways (BA) officials last week, the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) said it is more strongly convinced than before that the British airline should have been awarded the Air Jamaica's London, Heathrow, route.

Immediate past president of the JHTA, Horace Peterkin, in a frank farewell speech at the association's annual general meeting at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort and Spa in Ocho Rios yesterday, blamed the Government for what he termed as its lack of partnership when making decisions on critical issues affecting the tourist industry.

"Having met with BA ourselves, we are even more convinced (of our position), because, among other things, they were willing to put two flights per week from London into Montego Bay, which would have at least replaced some of the nearly 2,000 seats that Air Jamaica flew weekly," Peterkin told delegates.

Substantial market share

He also cautioned that whatever immediate cash benefits the Virgin deal may have represented, "We stand to lose substantial market sharein a market of nearly 300 million people with the desire and money to travel to Jamaica".

He added that Virgin Atlantic's two additional flights to Kingston will not be of any great help to the island's tourist industry which has the potential to grow out of the United Kingdom and Europe, once there are convenient flights to the tourist capital. "We also know that British Airways has the connectivity into continental Europe that Virgin does not have."

Peterkin, who turned over the baton to new president Wayne Cummings, general manager of Sandals Negril, cited the recent sale of Air Jamaica Vacations (AJV) to Mark Travel as another example of Government's disregard of the hotel association.

"Air Jamaica met with us when we learned of the rumour that AJV might be outsourced," disclosed Peterkin, "and, after investing a lot of time and resources into preparing a position paper with recommendations, and being promised that they would have come back to us, we only heard of the decision on the news."

Incoming president Wayne Cummings, said the JHTA plans to actively lobby for a seat on the Air Jamaica board, so that there will be no repeat of the current situation. "If we had a voice on the board, we could have advised them accordingly," stated Cummings.