High End/Low End Tourism

[Assasin]

Don1 concerning the Dominican model, based on past experience I think most High End tourism spot develop because of the popularity with low end travellers.

Look at Negril and even Ochi, they developed not because of the high end travellers but mostly because of low end travellers and in some cases hippies of the sixties who were young and low end but over the years they have grown gotten good jobs and have returned because of the love of the place and they spread the word. Just recently a hotel was build in Robins Bay St.Mary at Strawberry Field beach. This was a spot until in the 80s was basically a camping ground.

Ten years ago nobody would think of going to Domincan Republic but because of their short weekend stay and price it can be afforded and they get a lot of travelllers. The hotels are never too far from the airport and the airports are small. With a the tourism growth rate they have you will soon see more high end hotels going up. Port Antonio have a few four and five star hotel which is mainly empty so they do have spot for high end visitors but new high end visitors are not easily attracted as the bargin hunters and when a place like Portie don't have the right infrastructure in place how are they going to convince these visitor to come and go to a non existence rafting on the Rio Grandie or a closed Navy Island or None Such cave?

This is one of the reasons Spring Break is so important. To win the college kids of today because they are the future leaders of tomorrow that will come back if they get a once in a lifetime experience.

[Don1]

Don1 concerning the Dominican model, based on past experience I think most High End tourism spot develop because of the popularity with low end travellers.

Look at Negril and even Ochi, they developed not because of the high end travellers but mostly because of low end travellers and in some cases hippies of the sixties who were young and low end but over the years they have grown gotten good jobs and have returned because of the love of the place and they spread the word. Just recently a hotel was build in Robins Bay St.Mary at Strawberry Field beach. This was a spot until in the 80s was basically a camping ground.

Ten years ago nobody would think of going to Domincan Republic but because of their short weekend stay and price it can be afforded and they get a lot of travelllers. The hotels are never too far from the airport and the airports are small. With a the tourism growth rate they have you will soon see more high end hotels going up. Port Antonio have a few four and five star hotel which is mainly empty so they do have spot for high end visitors but new high end visitors are not easily attracted as the bargin hunters and when a place like Portie don't have the right infrastructure in place how are they going to convince these visitor to come and go to a non existence rafting on the Rio Grandie or a closed Navy Island or None Such cave?

This is one of the reasons Spring Break is so important. To win the college kids of today because they are the future leaders of tomorrow that will come back if they get a once in a lifetime experience.

I hear what you are saying.

However Jamaica already has a substantial market position at the low and middle levels of the market. Spring break is the ultimate low end. I don't know if you want that crowd in Portland... its beauty would be largely lost on them plus they don't spend much money.

The high end Jamaican resorts - Royal Plantation, Half Moon, The Caves, Ritz Carlton, Round Hill ..... Portland and the tourism product overall would benefit more from this market.... they have longer stays and spend much more money. I would NOT like to see Port Antonio turned into another Ochi or MoBay with mass tourism. Would you? Plus it might not be the best strategy to mix the two markets... you end up diluting the product.
DR has lessons for Jamaica but they overall do not have a great product. You never hear of the DR winning awards in the marketplace. Flawed as our product is Jamaica consistently wins awards and industry recognition.

The whole rationale behind Harmony Cove is to establish Jamaica as a high end destination. Portland is far superior physically to that area and can definitely make a big impact. Better to get 100,000 visitors spending avg of $5000 than 500,000 spending $500 or even $1000. Less stress on the environment as well.

[Assasin]

But how long has Portland been waiting? The hotel has been built and waiting and now many has closed or rot.

They do get a few high end tourist but not enough to keep an industry going. Many of these high end tourism don't support local industry either as they never show their face in a local market or store. They pay $2.50 for a red stripe in the hotel. I worked at Halfmoon for a year and a half so I know the happenings there.

While I don't like the Spring Break rowdy crowd, but they now have a very diverse spring break crowd, you have the christian crew and other groups than the drinkers. I would like to see Portland offer a niche product that includes environmentalists, and some family tourisms but reaching for the high end don't always work, It is better to have a mix.

[Sickko]

Five years or so ago the JTB launched a massive campaign to attract the Spring Break crowd to MoBay and Negril with the same baltter about them being the mature visitors of tomorrow...now they seem not to even want them anywhere here.

Daytona Beach has not gone after them after years of being a prime destination and not even Cancun wants them anymore.

Fact is the Spring Break holiday is not profitable and can be very expensive for the hotels in the long run, especially the smaller properties that cant wait the 10-15 years for the investment to mature.

The Spring Breakers have no money to spend, they come in on cheap plans and destroy furniture and keep full paying guests awake.

Very few Spring Breaks can afford the all-inlcusive properties and if they go there they hardly have any fun as not many of their kinds are there.

[Assasin]

everything have to be in reason because a same thing them use to say bout the Sunsplash crowd and Jamaican who visit these hotels in the early 90s.

The fact is college graduates go on to be the doctors and lawyer and businessmen etc. The results may not be seen until years later as is the case with Negril. I know people who have been visiting these places from they were teenagers and now they very comfortable and may even be millionaires and still visit.

[Don1]

But how long has Portland been waiting? The hotel has been built and waiting and now many has closed or rot.

They do get a few high end tourist but not enough to keep an industry going. Many of these high end tourism don't support local industry either as they never show their face in a local market or store. They pay $2.50 for a red stripe in the hotel. I worked at Halfmoon for a year and a half so I know the happenings there.

While I don't like the Spring Break rowdy crowd, but they now have a very diverse spring break crowd, you have the christian crew and other groups than the drinkers. I would like to see Portland offer a niche product that includes environmentalists, and some family tourisms but reaching for the high end don't always work, It is better to have a mix.

as long as they don't turn the place into another Ochi. retain the charm.

[Sickko]

and all five of who you know cant fill hotel rooms and pay off millions of dollars of debts owed by small hoteliers...

[Assasin]

You can gwann talk have you ever heard "every mickle make a mockle" or one one cocoa full basket? A bet you any hotelier wouldn't make a statement like that because they know the value of each client.

I don't have to talk about who I know, I can talk about my years working in the tourism industry in all areas of hotel and that can't be taken away form me as I was also trained in that industry.

[Assasin]

Yeah, I remember when I was at Titchfield high and when they had cruiseships going to Port Antonio, the tourist use to walk downtown and go to the craft markets and would go to Rio Grande, Somerset Falls etc. and support the local economy from Taxi driver to Shops and I would like to see that again. They have some good Hotel in Portland that they rooms have not seen even close to been full in terms of occupancy so something has to be done.

[Don1]

Yeah, I remember when I was at Titchfield high and when they had cruiseships going to Port Antonio, the tourist use to walk downtown and go to the craft markets and would go to Rio Grande, Somerset Falls etc. and support the local economy from Taxi driver to Shops and I would like to see that again. They have some good Hotel in Portland that they rooms have not seen even close to been full in terms of occupancy so something has to be done.

agreed. maybe when the highway is fixed that will spark a change.

[Sickko]

Do you even have a clue what it takes o keep say a 110 room hotel open...in this case every mickle cant make anything as if they dont have enough people paying to stay there they cant pay bills...how difficult is that to understand?

[Assasin]

so I guess the low end guest don't pay?

Is it better to have a discounted rate or empty rooms?

Most Hotels make their money during the Winter season and the summer months is the challenging ones to keep a float, if they can make some money in those months it does offset their loses.

Each and every client counts to full that hotel, even the big tour operaters get their clients through individual packages.

[Assasin]

when it come to Portland and developement I have to see it to believe it first. you talking bout a parish with some of the worst internal roads, and 60% or higher don't have regular piped water. Government has failed them bad over the years, both parties.