New president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, Wayne Cummings (centre), with his four vice-presidents. From left are Judy Schoenbein, Nicola Madden-Gregg, Vana Taylor and Evelyn Smith. - Photo by Janet Silvera

Janet Silvera, Senior Tourism Writer

Intensifying HIV/AIDS awareness and strengthening the diversity of the tourism sector are among the causes that the new president of the Jamaica Hotel and TouristAssociation (JHTA), Wayne Cummings, will champion during his tenure.

He will also focus on what he calls alienated small hoteliers.

Cummings was unanimously elected to head the JHTA for the 2007/2008 administrative year at the association's annual general meeting at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort and Spa, in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, on Saturday.

He said it is important that more attention be given to HIV because it will continue to impact several lives and economies.

A serious matter

"The hotel industry is certainly one of the entrance doors to this disease coming into the island, so we need to arrest it through intervention, by getting our team members to understand its seriousness," he stated.

Cummings' statement comes less than a week after the launch of the 'Tourism Sector HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy' by the Tourism Product Development Company and its stakeholders.

Cummings also criticised the insurance and medical sectors for their level of support to persons living with the virus.

"If we want to become serious about what is happening around us and within our organisations, we must recognise that we have to go out there and support it," he said.

Small hotels alienated

Turning to issues affecting resort towns islandwide, he argued that the small-hotel sector felt very alienated.

"They are kind of shy, because the mega resorts that are coming in are putting them into a position where their backs are against the wall," Cummings argued. However, he said this was not deliberate.

In fact, the absence of the small hoteliers at the AGM was apparent and it caused a deficit during the elections, as there were no nominations. As a consequence, a counsellor from that entity had to be selected from the floor.

"Jamaica has never been and will never be about large hotels, diversity is important, it's about us offering all sorts of possibilities for the travelling public."

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com