Jamaica
News - Real Estate - Tourism (December
9,
2004)
Hoteliers expect good winter tourist season despite setbacks by hurricane
WITH tourist arrivals on
the increase and the construction of new hotels underway,
president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association Godfrey
Dyer has expressed high hopes for this year's winter tourist
season that begins on December 15.
"We are approaching the
winter with high hopes and expectations for a good season.
The forecast is buoyed by several
realities, including an expansion of hotel rooms across the
island, and we welcome the several new hotel groups which are
opening up new markets to us," Dyer told reporters at a press
conference in Kingston.
"This year - January to August
- we realised a 9.8 per cent growth in arrivals to Jamaica. Of
course, this growth was negatively impacted somewhat by Hurricane
Ivan, but despite this our arrival figures are now on par with the
same period last year and we expect to end 2004 with at least a
five per cent increase in visitor traffic when compared with 2003
arrivals," Dyer said.
He said, too, that the island
was receiving positive feedback from tour operators for the
upcoming season.
"The word from our
international tour operators is very positive. They are all
reporting strong bookings for Jamaica and we saw first- hand the
heightened interest in Jamaica at the recent World Travel Market
in London," said the JHTA president.
He added that the interest was
expected to increase with Jamaica's hosting of the Caribbean Hotel
Association's (CHA) Tourism Marketplace in January.
"The tour operators are
equally excited by Jamaica's selection as the host for the CHA
Caribbean Marketplace in January 2005, and all indications are
that we will have a very successful meeting of international
buyers with our Jamaican and Caribbean industry
representatives," he said.
He, however, warned of the need
to have small properties upgraded so that they too can benefit
from a successful winter season.
"We are also hoping that the
badly-needed clean-up and beautification of our resort towns will
be implemented speedily, now that the Tourism Enhancement Act has
been passed," he added.
The tourism enhancement fee,
which is to be charged to visitors as a source of funding for the
10-year tourism master plan, was approved in the Senate last
Friday. It will see airline passengers charged US$10 and cruise
passengers, US$2.
Meanwhile, Dyer renewed his call
for the entire island to support the national carrier, Air
Jamaica, which is facing financial challenges. The contributions
of the airline, he said, are such that they can never be equalled.
"We need to stem the losses
at Air Jamaica but we need to recognise that it is a very tough
environment in which they are operating and they can't do it
alone.
Many larger, older airlines,
including some that are now flying to Jamaica, have in recent
times had financial difficulties which have caused them to file
for Chapter 11 status in the USA, and seek help from their
governments," he said.
"There is no question that
Jamaica needs Air Jamaica. That is a given. We must now focus on
how we can help shore up our national airline, stem the
haemorrhage and secure Jamaica's economic health," he added.
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