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Hotels struggle to find lodging for stranded Europeans
BY INGRID BROWN Senior staff reporter browni@jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
JAMAICAN hotels are struggling to find alternative accommodations for their guests stranded here because of the shutdown of airports across Europe, due to the eruption of the volcano Eyjafjalla in Iceland.
Wayne Cummings, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), said a number of local hotels have had to move out stranded visitors, some of whom have run out of money, to other suitable locations to make way for arriving guests.
CUMMINGS... a number of local hotels had to move out stranded visitors to make way for arriving guest
According to Cummings, while hotels have been working overtime to accommodate their guests as best as possible, they had to ensure that guests arriving from North America and other regions were accommodated.
"We have a contractual agreement with these new guests who are coming in, and so we have to say to our British clients 'we can no longer keep you', and show them the alternatives," Cummings told the Observer Monday.
"When it first happened we thought three days at the worst, but once people's money began to run out, we realise that we are in a crisis mode," he added.
He made it clear that some hotels were doing everything to facilitate the stranded guests, such as providing them with free phone calls back to their countries, as well as helping them with their laundry.
However, he said some guests were becoming increasingly frustrated as they were unable to get confirmations from British Airways and Virgin Atlantic on their departure from Jamaica.
He fears that if the situation prolongs, "we will have even more serious issues".
He, however, added that even when airlift begins it would take some time to clear the backlog of passengers stranded since the volcano forced the shutdown of Europe's airspace last Thursday.
The JHTA will, meanwhile, be seeking the intervention of the tourism minister, Edmund Bartlett, in the matter.
Cummings said, too, that hoteliers would like the airlines, embassies and high commissions to help shoulder some of the costs to host the stranded visitors.
"We are the ones shouldering the anxiety and that of our guests, and no one has indicated to us how to assist their nationals," he said.
He added that while some tour operators, like Virgin Holiday tour, had opted to pay for the extended stay of their passengers many others were not so generous.
According to Cummings, the way the matter is handled could determine the desire of guests to return to the destination for future holidays.
Monday, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) called on governments around the globe to intervene to protect the travel and tourism economy in light of continued travel disruption. The WTTC, in a release, said while public safety must be paramount, decisions must not be made lightly as they could have serious impact on the world's US$5,751-billion travel and tourism economy.
It was time for governments and organisations such as the United Nations, European Commission, G8 and G20, to re-examine the way policies that affect global travel and tourism are co-ordinated and implemented, said the organisation.
An important step forward, it said, would be the introduction of centralised air traffic control for the whole of Europe, which could reduce the need for blanket bans on flights in the future.
BY INGRID BROWN Senior staff reporter browni@jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
JAMAICAN hotels are struggling to find alternative accommodations for their guests stranded here because of the shutdown of airports across Europe, due to the eruption of the volcano Eyjafjalla in Iceland.
Wayne Cummings, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), said a number of local hotels have had to move out stranded visitors, some of whom have run out of money, to other suitable locations to make way for arriving guests.
CUMMINGS... a number of local hotels had to move out stranded visitors to make way for arriving guest
According to Cummings, while hotels have been working overtime to accommodate their guests as best as possible, they had to ensure that guests arriving from North America and other regions were accommodated.
"We have a contractual agreement with these new guests who are coming in, and so we have to say to our British clients 'we can no longer keep you', and show them the alternatives," Cummings told the Observer Monday.
"When it first happened we thought three days at the worst, but once people's money began to run out, we realise that we are in a crisis mode," he added.
He made it clear that some hotels were doing everything to facilitate the stranded guests, such as providing them with free phone calls back to their countries, as well as helping them with their laundry.
However, he said some guests were becoming increasingly frustrated as they were unable to get confirmations from British Airways and Virgin Atlantic on their departure from Jamaica.
He fears that if the situation prolongs, "we will have even more serious issues".
He, however, added that even when airlift begins it would take some time to clear the backlog of passengers stranded since the volcano forced the shutdown of Europe's airspace last Thursday.
The JHTA will, meanwhile, be seeking the intervention of the tourism minister, Edmund Bartlett, in the matter.
Cummings said, too, that hoteliers would like the airlines, embassies and high commissions to help shoulder some of the costs to host the stranded visitors.
"We are the ones shouldering the anxiety and that of our guests, and no one has indicated to us how to assist their nationals," he said.
He added that while some tour operators, like Virgin Holiday tour, had opted to pay for the extended stay of their passengers many others were not so generous.
According to Cummings, the way the matter is handled could determine the desire of guests to return to the destination for future holidays.
Monday, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) called on governments around the globe to intervene to protect the travel and tourism economy in light of continued travel disruption. The WTTC, in a release, said while public safety must be paramount, decisions must not be made lightly as they could have serious impact on the world's US$5,751-billion travel and tourism economy.
It was time for governments and organisations such as the United Nations, European Commission, G8 and G20, to re-examine the way policies that affect global travel and tourism are co-ordinated and implemented, said the organisation.
An important step forward, it said, would be the introduction of centralised air traffic control for the whole of Europe, which could reduce the need for blanket bans on flights in the future.
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