Jamaica is joking with Tourism

[Jangle]

Two weeks ago I vacationed in the Dominica Republic at the Riu Resort in Puerto Plata. It was my first time there, and I was disappointed with my first sights of the island - the airport. It was a very tiny airport which fits the stereotypical small island look that you see in American made movies. The 40 minute drive from the airport to the hotel did not do much much to improve my perception of the island either. The place looked pretty run-down and impoverish. Of course, I was comparing it to Jamaica. It was like any rural Jamaican town, but a little worse. Maybe I am being biased when I compare it to Jamaica because I am going off my memories of sweet Jamaica.

The resort itself was nice; similar to say, Sandals Ocho Rios. The thing that impressed me the most, was that even though Spanish is the national language spoken there, the hotel staff were fluent in several languages - German, French, English, Dutch and some Italian. I made friends with one of the staff there, and she told me that the hotel was about 65% full. The majority of their guest came from Europe. Actually, at the time, there were only a few guests there from the USA. While most of their guests came from Spain (which is understandable), Germany, France and Italy, a good portion also came from the UK. Now that bit of information piqued my interest. I wanted to know why would a Brit want to travel all the way across the Atlantic to vacation in a Spanish speaking country when you have the rest of the English speaking Caribbean to go to? The Dominica Republic certainly does not have more or even half of the activities that jamaica has to offer, outside of the sun, sand and sea. The water was actually cold and the beach rocky to the point where I could not venture out into the sea more that about 5 to 10 feet. I was on the Atlantic side of the island.

According to the Dominica Republic Central Bank, in 2008, the breakdown of tourist arrivals by air were as follows:

Canada - 634,937
USA - 1,091,813
Mexico - 25,195
Cental America & the Caribbean - 119,809 (56,649 from Puerto Rico)
South America - 203,810
Asia - 14,642
Europe - 1,353,230
Germany - 207,893
Spain - 239,493
Italy - 133,319
France - 291,466
England - 216,130

These are some very big numbers by any count. Here I was thinking that outside of the Bahamas, Jamaica had this tourism thing on lock. We are joking. We need to shift our focus from the USA and push more into the European and Asian markets. Everybody in the Caribbean has the same three S's, and for someone coming from a cold climate, some don't know the difference in the better quality of beaches that Jamaica has to offer. Casino gambling is a MUST. The single most emphasis however, has to be the safety and peace of mind that a tourist must feel when he visits our shores. Jamaica (the name) conjures up many different images for tourists. Fortunately, most images are good ones. I don't think today's hijacking incident will have too much of an adverse effect on our product. It was very good that the security force was able to resolve the issue without bloodshed. I will continue this discussion tomorrow.

[Assasin]

Jamaica developed the All Inclusive concept but they moved to the high end. DR saw an opportunity and developed a concept. Small Airports, close to resorts and inexpensive vacation. You can get a vacation for 600 dollars for 3 days including flight. You know how many families and young couples who want to escape but can’t pay 5000 dollars? Since the downturn and deep discounting JA has been benefitting.

Why wouldn’t English go to DR? There is a lot of English visitors in Ja and they get approximately 6 weeks vacation instead of the three weeks we get so they can make several trips. We don’t have to compete head to head. I am curious, why did you go DR?

If we serious about Tourism we need a curriculum in elementary schools upward. This includes a foreign language, customer service, and studying about the different resorts, guests and attractions. In the next 5 years we would start reaping the benefit by having the best trained industry workers in the region and we could mark the difference even in the streets.

[Yuttie]

Two weeks ago I vacationed in the Dominica Republic at the Riu Resort in Puerto Plata. It was my first time there, and I was disappointed with my first sights of the island - the airport. It was a very tiny airport which fits the stereotypical small island look that you see in American made movies. The 40 minute drive from the airport to the hotel did not do much much to improve my perception of the island either. The place looked pretty run-down and impoverish. Of course, I was comparing it to Jamaica. It was like any rural Jamaican town, but a little worse. Maybe I am being biased when I compare it to Jamaica because I am going off my memories of sweet Jamaica.

The resort itself was nice; similar to say, Sandals Ocho Rios. The thing that impressed me the most, was that even though Spanish is the national language spoken there, the hotel staff were fluent in several languages - German, French, English, Dutch and some Italian. I made friends with one of the staff there, and she told me that the hotel was about 65% full. The majority of their guest came from Europe. Actually, at the time, there were only a few guests there from the USA. While most of their guests came from Spain (which is understandable), Germany, France and Italy, a good portion also came from the UK. Now that bit of information piqued my interest. I wanted to know why would a Brit want to travel all the way across the Atlantic to vacation in a Spanish speaking country when you have the rest of the English speaking Caribbean to go to? The Dominica Republic certainly does not have more or even half of the activities that jamaica has to offer, outside of the sun, sand and sea. The water was actually cold and the beach rocky to the point where I could not venture out into the sea more that about 5 to 10 feet. I was on the Atlantic side of the island.

DAMN!!!!!!

[Hortical]

I went to Puerto Plata a few years ago, and the majority of the guests who stayed at the hotel were European. I went to another resort in the southeast of DR a few months ago, and the majority were South American, Russian, French & French Canadians. English was not widely spoken at the resort, but I managed to get by. DR is much more affordable than Ja & safer. There was not much to do for entertainment once you leave the hotel, and Ja is ahead of DR for entertainment and cultural attractiveness.

[Jangle]

Good points Sass. DR certainly knows a thing or two about inexpensive vacations. That was the only reason why I agreed with the wife to go on a mini-vacation in these times. Your point about teaching Tourism in schools is another good point. If Jamaica decides to make tourism our primary foreign exchange earner, then the entire country has to get on board. There is much more that we can do to improve our product. I made a post last year, after I came back from the Bahamas, about the courtesy and knowledge of the common cab driver there. I also experienced the same courtesy, friendliness and knowledge from the cab drivers in Las Vegas. In both locations I felt extremely safe walking around the town late at night. I wonder when a tourist will get the same feeling in Jamaica.

I did some more research and found out that DR has 10 international airports. My favourite vacation spot in Jamaica is Ocho Rios. I have some white American friends who romanticize about Jamaica. They are regular travellers and have been to several caribbean countries, but not Jamaica. They just haven't gotten around to it as yet. They are a young couple and I was trying to convince them to go to Ochie this year. Initially, they were all for it, but when they did their own research and learned about the distance and the time it takes to travel from the Sangsters Intl Airport to Ochie, they changed their minds and settled for St. Martins, which they had been before. Growing up, I have always heard successive governments talk about building another airport in central Jamaica, but to date, nothing.

Kingston has the potential to become the tourist mecca of Jamaica and the caribbean. Take away the scourge of crime and the level of destitution in downtown Kingston, fix the delapidated buildings, build new rooms, restaurants, museum, theatre, and fix how people are transported in and around the city, and you have a gold mine. The mindset of the government and Jamaicans, which is always the hardest thing to change, and the idea of why people travel need to change. We need to understand that the three S's are not the only reason tourists will come to Jamaica. Our rich culture by itself is a strong drawing card. Tourist/foreigners want to know more about the country that produces people like Bob Marley, Usain Bolt, The Reggae Boys, Shabba Ranks and Sean Paul, Merlene Ottey and most importantly, Reggae music.

[Assasin]

Good post.

In many case our concept of tourist is wrong. We think all tourist look for big hotels, air conditioner and sun tan.

We think we have to hide tourist away from the reality of Jamaica.
There are many tourist especially Europeans who want to be able to roam the island from end to end and even set up a tent if necessary. When I was a kid I remember tourist having picnic at our roadside off the main road and offering us school children to join in and guess what we ran away. I am not advocating that kids join tourist without parental guidance but the fact is we didn't really know how to respond.

There are many failing attractions which good do with some cleaning and evironmental protection if only the people realise how important it is for their earning potential. I am talking about many beautiful sites that need bushing, garbage clean up and organizing and creating a little hype so people take notice.

People claim we have no capital but we can put it in cash plus and the rest. We need to invest a little more in ourselves and start believing. We waiting too much for foriegners to come and save us.

Back to tourism. If you notice the small airports in DR? There is no reason Boscobel shouldn't be an international Airport to service Ochie and St.Mary area. Portland is a disaster as you can either enter from Kingston and risk your life driving through the junction or St.Thomas or come through Mobay which is at 4-6 hours drive.

Another problem I have is you hear about High end tourist and earning per person but if we have 2 million tourist spending 20 million dollars, or 4 million spending 30 million, which is better? Jamaica need to realise that there is more lower middle class working people who travel than more higher middle income people.

We have so much to offer. We have so many out of work entertainers who with the right principles and approach can do hotel ciurcut and live a decent life. People like Gem Myers, Ainsley Morris, A.J. Brown and others have been able to command a good life just performing at different hotels on different nights. With more tourist there is a need for not only workers but quality dancers, magicians, entertainment people. There is the need to really educate people about these oppurtunities from a young age. How can we NOT teach student about our number one industry?

HEART in Runaway Bay is doing a good job but why do we give people tourism training as second chance and not first choice? Not only is this valuable in hotels but also the customer service aspect is good for Banks and IT etc.

You said your favorite spot is Ochi but is htis because we really only have three? I was in Ochi last year and while the rate was great, the harrasment at the craft market was a disgrace, the small little river that run in the middle of the town needed cleaning and a few things that could make it better. I got a very good price, I told my sister and she was off the next week two weeks with her family, I told my brother who was thinking of going christmas but the rate he got was so good he went for thanksgiving. He said this could have possible been the best vacation he had, and take in mind he has travelled far and wide. Those are just personal experience but if a study is conducted it MAY show that these are some of the reasons why tourism actually increased in the downturn. Now I hope we can capitalize on it by have some low cost good 3 and four star hotels and then have the real upscale 5 stars at another price. Too many 3 stars want 5 star price and it would be better if the cut their prices get more people.

These 3 star think they are competing with Sandals and Halfmoon but they are really not, they are competing with the DR, Cancun, Las Vegas, South Florida and places they have never heard about. Sunset Resort has been making a name as a new Jamaican brand trying to provide a cheaper but quality product and it is owned by the people who owned Yummy. Mosiah might like it as some "black" Jamaicans are in management.

As you say we need to start take tourism serious.

[HL]

Joking with tourism indeed....!!!!

And this becomes apparent the more you travel.

[Muadib]

Things took a different direction under Michael Manley.. choices were made, we must reap the results.. At least black people in Jamaica have rights today..

[Islandman]

Sometimes just a fresh coat of paint on some of the main buildings in the town center can make such a difference in how the town look. Some of those buildings in the parish capitals look like they haven't been painted in 20+ years.

If we ever get a handle on the harassment and crime we would not have to run any "One Love" ad on cable TV. That would be for the other islands who have nothing to differentiate themselves.

[Gamma]

yeah puerto plata is fairly nice.....depends on what yuh looking for though.....DOMINICA is to date the most BEAUTIFUL and lush caribbean i have ever visited.

i was also humbled to visit the carib villages knowing that they have been living there continuously before columbus....

a little anecdote.....in the middle of the carib village...100% carib...as you get close to the outskirts....you start to see evidence of the presence african descendants ... almost like a "kilroy was here" sign.

[Assasin]

getting rid of crime will make a difference but remember DR. Cancun and other have their crime problem too.

Part of the problem is overcharging and not trying to have more spenders but killing the market we have. Just go in your favorite Jamaican store and look at the price then if you have a supermarket that carry the same Jamaican product look at the price difference. Same thing with Tourism, we think all a the foriegner them rich. Another thing is English people don't tip, question, do they get the same service as North Americans?

[Assasin]

"yeah puerto plata is fairly nice.....depends on what yuh looking for though....."

What you looking fa

[Gamma]

what YOU looking fah!?

[Muadib]

Did you leave your signature ?

[Mosiah]

So yuh travel regular, HL?