Tweet
More earnings coming for craft traders
By KERIL WRIGHT Observer staff reporter
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
NEGRIL, Westmoreland - President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), Wayne Cummings, is spearheading a move to revamp and streamline the hotel craft artisan programme, which allows craft traders across the island to boost their income by peddling their wares on hotel properties.
Cummings, who met with craft traders in Negril last week, said the programme which is now being formalised in the resorts, will be replicated in Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, and comes at an opportune time when the island's craft industry is being revolutionised.
"We are trying to bridge the gap at least from the position of the JHTA," said Cummings.
A craft trader interacting with visitors at the Harbour Street Craft Market. (Photo: Keril Wright)
He noted that he would be personally mediating these meetings to ensure that they did not become adversarial and ensured maximum benefits to craft traders.
"This no stop gap measure," he insisted. "It is a long-term effort."
Cummings, who is also general manager of Sandals Negril, said he does not envision any major obstacle as they try to streamline the programme, since it is not new and currently exists in a number of properties across the island.
"Many things are happening now that were not possible before," he said, pointing to the commitment from Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett and Prime Minister Bruce Golding to enrich and improve the sector as well as the dedicated Tourism Enhancement Fund.
The hotel artisan programme, he said, would ensure that craft traders, who have continuously complained of unfair competition from other more established, cash-rich entities, got an opportunity to increase their earnings from tourism.
This, Cummings said, could avert what was a "sensitive and ticking time bomb" which now exists in the sector, where those at the bottom of the chain felt that they were not reaping due benefits.
This should be welcome news for craft traders across the island, several of whom suffered severe losses to fire in recent times.
Vice president of the national Craft Traders Association and president of the Harbour Street Craft Market in Montego Bay, Melody Haughton, has complained of run-down craft facilities and unfair competition that has seen traders, including those at Harbour Street, unable to pay the meagre $2,000-a-month rental.
She said the prime minister, who had announced grand plans for craft traders, needed to meet with the people in the sector and included them in the plans being formulated.
"They can't stay out there and plan for us in the craft markets," she argued. "They can't stay inna air-conditioned office and plan fi people inna sun hot."
She added that it was fine and well to pretty and spruce up craft markets, but that these markets needed business. Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett recently reiterated a planned $20-million improvement project for Harbour Street, which is part of a larger multimillion dollar project to refurbish and enhance craft markets across the island.
"We need the PM to know people are selling imported craft ; the craft men and women are dying out," she charged, "The government has to set the playing field level."
The market currently benefits from a Hot Spot Shuttle, as one of the stops in Montego Bay for cruise passengers on a US$12 tour that includes such areas as City Centre, the Old Fort Craft Market, Margaritaville and Doctors Cave Beach.
She said, however, that they continue to suffer from lack of business from "freelance" visitors who buy individual trips from individual tour bus operators. "Them say them not taking business to us because we can't pay them to that."
But president of Jamaica Union of Travellers Association (JUTA), Garfield Williamson, said he was not aware of tour bus operators compelling craft vendors to pay them to take business to craft markets. He admitted, however, that drivers do get incentives from some entities and that sometimes visitors are not interested in the offerings of the craft markets.
"Visitors are not motivated sometimes to stop at craft markets because of the lack of diversity," he explained. "I sympathise with them (craft traders), but they need to create an environment that is attractive to and will attract the visitors."
By KERIL WRIGHT Observer staff reporter
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
NEGRIL, Westmoreland - President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), Wayne Cummings, is spearheading a move to revamp and streamline the hotel craft artisan programme, which allows craft traders across the island to boost their income by peddling their wares on hotel properties.
Cummings, who met with craft traders in Negril last week, said the programme which is now being formalised in the resorts, will be replicated in Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, and comes at an opportune time when the island's craft industry is being revolutionised.
"We are trying to bridge the gap at least from the position of the JHTA," said Cummings.
A craft trader interacting with visitors at the Harbour Street Craft Market. (Photo: Keril Wright) He noted that he would be personally mediating these meetings to ensure that they did not become adversarial and ensured maximum benefits to craft traders.
"This no stop gap measure," he insisted. "It is a long-term effort."
Cummings, who is also general manager of Sandals Negril, said he does not envision any major obstacle as they try to streamline the programme, since it is not new and currently exists in a number of properties across the island.
"Many things are happening now that were not possible before," he said, pointing to the commitment from Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett and Prime Minister Bruce Golding to enrich and improve the sector as well as the dedicated Tourism Enhancement Fund.
The hotel artisan programme, he said, would ensure that craft traders, who have continuously complained of unfair competition from other more established, cash-rich entities, got an opportunity to increase their earnings from tourism.
This, Cummings said, could avert what was a "sensitive and ticking time bomb" which now exists in the sector, where those at the bottom of the chain felt that they were not reaping due benefits.
This should be welcome news for craft traders across the island, several of whom suffered severe losses to fire in recent times.
Vice president of the national Craft Traders Association and president of the Harbour Street Craft Market in Montego Bay, Melody Haughton, has complained of run-down craft facilities and unfair competition that has seen traders, including those at Harbour Street, unable to pay the meagre $2,000-a-month rental.
She said the prime minister, who had announced grand plans for craft traders, needed to meet with the people in the sector and included them in the plans being formulated.
"They can't stay out there and plan for us in the craft markets," she argued. "They can't stay inna air-conditioned office and plan fi people inna sun hot."
She added that it was fine and well to pretty and spruce up craft markets, but that these markets needed business. Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett recently reiterated a planned $20-million improvement project for Harbour Street, which is part of a larger multimillion dollar project to refurbish and enhance craft markets across the island.
"We need the PM to know people are selling imported craft ; the craft men and women are dying out," she charged, "The government has to set the playing field level."
The market currently benefits from a Hot Spot Shuttle, as one of the stops in Montego Bay for cruise passengers on a US$12 tour that includes such areas as City Centre, the Old Fort Craft Market, Margaritaville and Doctors Cave Beach.
She said, however, that they continue to suffer from lack of business from "freelance" visitors who buy individual trips from individual tour bus operators. "Them say them not taking business to us because we can't pay them to that."
But president of Jamaica Union of Travellers Association (JUTA), Garfield Williamson, said he was not aware of tour bus operators compelling craft vendors to pay them to take business to craft markets. He admitted, however, that drivers do get incentives from some entities and that sometimes visitors are not interested in the offerings of the craft markets.
"Visitors are not motivated sometimes to stop at craft markets because of the lack of diversity," he explained. "I sympathise with them (craft traders), but they need to create an environment that is attractive to and will attract the visitors."
Comment