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  • #1

    See what affect tourism more than crime

    lack of leadership, nastiness and harassment.



    No one in charge!

    Published: Thursday | May 6, 2010 0 Comments and 0 Reactions


    Horace Wildes, president, St Ann chamber of commerce.



    Taxi drivers take over this Total gas station in the town of Ocho Rios in St Ann. - photos by Norman Grindley/Chief Photographer




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    Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer PRESIDENT OF the St Ann Chamber of Commerce, Horace Wildes, has called on Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett to re-establish the [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Ocho [COLOR=orange! important]Rios[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] Resort Board, as the [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]resort[/COLOR][/COLOR] town continues to lose millions of dollars from the [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]tourist [COLOR=orange! important]industry[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] due to deteriorating conditions.
    The call was made last Thursday at a Gleaner Editors' Forum at the chamber's offices and came after it emerged from discussions that there was no organisation to lead the town's efforts at tourism development since the resort board, which previously had that responsibility, was disbanded by Bartlett under controversial circumstances some time ago.
    "The chamber is making a call for the re-establishment of the Ocho Rios Resort Board," Wildes told the gathering which consisted of a dozen of the parish's leading spokespersons.
    Wildes suggested it made no sense that an organisation that was created to fill a void be discarded while the void still exists.
    "The town looks disgusting and no one seems to know who is responsible," lamented Dr John McDowell of the St Ann Restoration Company.
    Tourist fears
    Participants at the forum highlighted a growing fear by [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]cruise-ship[/COLOR][/COLOR] passengers mainly because of harassment and a dirty and unsightly town. Regarding the state of the town, Johnny Marsh, regional coordinator for the Tourism Product Development Company, revealed that the agency recently asked business operators on Main Street, Ocho Rios, to participate in an adopt-a-road programme "so we could transform from Reynolds Pier to Coconut Grove".
    "If we don't improve the appearance, we will not have a good (tourism) product," Marsh warned. But he admitted that the impetus for such a plan was not there.
    Vana Taylor, of the [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Jamaica [COLOR=orange! important]Hotel[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] and Tourist Association, said reviews from guests indicated that Ocho Rios was "dirty and unsightly".
    She, too, warned: "We have to get Ocho Rios clean, not only for visitors but ourselves."
    The roles of the parish council, the National Works Agency, the National Solid Waste Management Authority, the member of parliament and councillor were questioned in relation to keeping the town clean.
    While Taylor squarely placed the blame on the St Ann Parish Parish Council, Mayor Ivan Anderson made it known that while all the aforementioned state agencies have been involved in cleaning the town, the council, which should be the lead planner, has been given "basket to carry water" as oftentimes work was carried out without any notice to the council.
    It also emerged that oftentimes activities by several agencies overlapped as there was no communication between them, a role the resort board had filled in the past.
    • Don't let negative things break you, instead let it be your strength, your reason for growth. Life is for living and I won't spend my life feeling cheated and downtrodden.
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  • #2
    Re: "More Than Crime"

    I’m not sure about the “more than crime” part of your comment, boss! You still fail to recognize and refuse to acknowledge the fact that crime news (especially violent crime) travels fast in this age of globalization and the Internet!! I can assure you that there are many potential visitors who refuse to go to Jamaica, or when they do go on cruise ships, refuse to disembark once the ships dock in Jamaican waters! Are you aware that special warnings are given to passengers prior to the ships entering Jamaican waters? Do you also know how many students from within Caribbean territories are scared to enroll at the Mona campus of the UWI because of the horror stories emanating from Jamaica?

    Yes, litter, nastiness and harassment are MAJOR disincentives for tourists who normally arrive from clean, ordered societies. I cannot argue the fact that the lack of real leadership and other hard-to-understand nonsense in Ocho Rios and elsewhere must surely be affecting the Tourism industry in major ways. But never try to downplay the effect and impact of crime and the fear this creates amongst foreigners.

    Now, please don’t tell me about Mexico. Their tourism product is already damaged goods, and I can assure you that when you see the arrival figures for 2010 in another nine months or so, you will understand what I mean.

    P.S. When you find yourself with some extra cash and time on your hands, be sure to visit Cuba, the future of Caribbean tourism!

    Comment

    • #3
      yes crime is a major set back but most tourist know that going to many country is like going to many big cities where you have your crime hotspots. They know that in most of these countries you don't have great crime in the tourist area but when they see nastiness it turn them off bad. As me and Mo was talking about the garbage in Ochi and the harrassment by the habour Sharks and people who claim to be vendors. It is a major turn off.

      Hopefully I will go to Cuba soon but I will not give up on Jamaica, we can and will do a lot better than we are doing today.
      • Don't let negative things break you, instead let it be your strength, your reason for growth. Life is for living and I won't spend my life feeling cheated and downtrodden.

      Comment

      • #4
        Originally posted by Assasin View Post
        yes crime is a major set back but most tourist know that going to many country is like going to many big cities where you have your crime hotspots. They know that in most of these countries you don't have great crime in the tourist area but when they see nastiness it turn them off bad. As me and Mo was talking about the garbage in Ochi and the harrassment by the habour Sharks and people who claim to be vendors. It is a major turn off.

        Hopefully I will go to Cuba soon but I will not give up on Jamaica, we can and will do a lot better than we are doing today.
        Assain, Jamaica has a population of 2.7 million and is one of the murder capitals of the world. We are not talking about a huge country here, with pockets of crime in some of the inner cities. We are talking about a tiny country who has been making headlines for its murder rate for decades!!! For as long as I have been alive, Jamaica has had a reputation of being a violent place! The fact that the governement(s) and police force seem to either, not know what to do about it or don't want to do anything about it, only makes it worse.

        No considering the above, Jamaica has done very well with its tourism. To me, that speaks to the strength of "brand jamaica" and it tourist product, if only the other things could be sorted out and Jamaica's tourist product would be unmatched by anywere in the world imo.

        Comment

        • #5
          The alternative would have Jamaicans having to live in Mocco or Bush.. come into town to work for Fortune 500 Companies and to window shop and watch Europeans frolic in their Yachts and other Expensive Toys...

          Wi not in dat... this may be a dump but it is OUR dump... how many countries would encourage even the poorest citizen the privilege of squatt.. I mean living in an upscale neighborhood.. ?

          Manley was ahead of his time... Genius..

          Comment

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