Ninety per cent of the region down

[Assasin]

Ninety per cent of the region down, Jamaica and Cuba scrape through
Janet Silvera, Hospitality Jamaica Coordinator
WESTERN BUREAU:
The Caribbean region continues to suffer major decline in tourist arrivals as a result of the global economic crisis, figures from the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) show.
CTO's latest statistics, which were released two weeks ago, show a 90 per cent downturn for the region from January to July 2009. Countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cancun, Mexico, Cayman Islands and Grenada, are experiencing staggering double-digit decline over the period compared to 2008.
Cuba and Jamaica are the only countries that have scraped through so far, with minimal increases of 3.1 per cent and 3.4 per cent in growth, respectively.
The unflattering news for the rest of the region comes at a time when Jamaica's Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, has said that this country must maintain an approximate 70 per cent to stay afloat, requiring a growth of 10-15 per cent annually to meet current standings because of the significant number of rooms that the island now boasts.
low occupancy
"Growing as we are, there is still going to be low occupancy across the board," he warned during an interview on the state of the industry, shortly after coming under severe criticism from the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) two weeks ago.
Not about to be caught off-guard in a competitive market environment, the tourism minister noted that the strategy he had engaged to keep the industry alive, while reaching its target, included an airlift security plan for the upcoming winter tourist season.
"There will be an additional 100,000 seats, which now requires a strong marketing, advertising and promotional programme which we will kick off when we go to Canada." He is also predicting a bumper winter season.
In the last week, the minister has been in the northwest region of Canada, along with his team which included Tourism Director, John Lynch.
Statistics show that Canada, which remains the most robust growth market for the island, is to be boosted by Air Transat which has announced it will be bringing in eight additional flights per week.
In addition, British Airways, is moving full speed ahead with plans to have its inaugural flight between London and Montego Bay come October 29, while Jet Blue, US Air and Air Tran are set to fill the void left by Air Jamaica's cancellation of its Los Angeles route.
"We have grown our share out of every single destination, and are using the recession to position ourselves," Bartlett told Hospitality Jamaica.
Stating that his responsibility is to market Destination Jamaica, he pointed out that the country is in the best corner in the global village, "Nobody else is doing as well, in terms of growth", he noted.
He said in the last six months the Dominican Republic, which was seeing growth, before has fallen off.
recession period
The facts are this is a recession period - yields have literally gone.
Checks made shows that a number of persons have been able to buy rooms at the famous Atlantis resort in The Bahamas as low as US$35.00 per night, "That is the reality around us", said Bartlett.
He said that he recognises that this was a consequence of the economic depression, but at the same time Jamaica must preserve its market-share and grow it.
"Putting itself in a position so it remains in the marketplace," the minister said.
janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com

[Historian]

Thanks For Posting This!

Excellent read, and thanks for posting this report, Assasin! I always read the Gleaner online, but today I missed this very interesting news report by Janet Silvera (because I failed to check the the relevant section of the newspaper).

This is good news courtesy of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, and I wish our very outstanding Tourism minister continued success. All of Jamaica is depending on him right now!!

Ninety per cent of the region down, Jamaica and Cuba scrape through
Janet Silvera, Hospitality Jamaica Coordinator
WESTERN BUREAU:
The Caribbean region continues to suffer major decline in tourist arrivals as a result of the global economic crisis, figures from the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) show.
CTO's latest statistics, which were released two weeks ago, show a 90 per cent downturn for the region from January to July 2009. Countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cancun, Mexico, Cayman Islands and Grenada, are experiencing staggering double-digit decline over the period compared to 2008.
Cuba and Jamaica are the only countries that have scraped through so far, with minimal increases of 3.1 per cent and 3.4 per cent in growth, respectively.
The unflattering news for the rest of the region comes at a time when Jamaica's Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, has said that this country must maintain an approximate 70 per cent to stay afloat, requiring a growth of 10-15 per cent annually to meet current standings because of the significant number of rooms that the island now boasts.
low occupancy
"Growing as we are, there is still going to be low occupancy across the board," he warned during an interview on the state of the industry, shortly after coming under severe criticism from the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) two weeks ago.
Not about to be caught off-guard in a competitive market environment, the tourism minister noted that the strategy he had engaged to keep the industry alive, while reaching its target, included an airlift security plan for the upcoming winter tourist season.
"There will be an additional 100,000 seats, which now requires a strong marketing, advertising and promotional programme which we will kick off when we go to Canada." He is also predicting a bumper winter season.
In the last week, the minister has been in the northwest region of Canada, along with his team which included Tourism Director, John Lynch.
Statistics show that Canada, which remains the most robust growth market for the island, is to be boosted by Air Transat which has announced it will be bringing in eight additional flights per week.
In addition, British Airways, is moving full speed ahead with plans to have its inaugural flight between London and Montego Bay come October 29, while Jet Blue, US Air and Air Tran are set to fill the void left by Air Jamaica's cancellation of its Los Angeles route.
"We have grown our share out of every single destination, and are using the recession to position ourselves," Bartlett told Hospitality Jamaica.
Stating that his responsibility is to market Destination Jamaica, he pointed out that the country is in the best corner in the global village, "Nobody else is doing as well, in terms of growth", he noted.
He said in the last six months the Dominican Republic, which was seeing growth, before has fallen off.
recession period
The facts are this is a recession period - yields have literally gone.
Checks made shows that a number of persons have been able to buy rooms at the famous Atlantis resort in The Bahamas as low as US$35.00 per night, "That is the reality around us", said Bartlett.
He said that he recognises that this was a consequence of the economic depression, but at the same time Jamaica must preserve its market-share and grow it.
"Putting itself in a position so it remains in the marketplace," the minister said.
janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com

[Assasin]

I took it from http://hospitalityjamaica.com/

publish by the Gleaner. Carole Beckford is a columist. It is published by weekly. Very interesting read if you are into tourism as I am.

[Historian]

Not Carole Beckford

I took it from http://hospitalityjamaica.com/

publish by the Gleaner. Carole Beckford is a columist. It is published by weekly. Very interesting read if you are into tourism as I am.

Thanks for the link. I had gone straight to the “Hospitality Jamaica” section yesterday immediately after reading your very relevant post .

By the way, Assasin, the article was not written by Carole Beckford as you stated, but rather, by Gleaner senior staffer Janet Silvera (check the byline).

[Assasin]

thanks. Both ladies do very good reporting usually with good data supporting their work and don't impose themselves.

I find this magazine refreshing to read.

[Don1]

thanks. Both ladies do very good reporting usually with good data supporting their work and don't impose themselves.

I find this magazine refreshing to read.

It's refreshing perhaps because they never print negative articles. Everything they print is positive regarding tourism.... in fact that is the mission of the publication.

Nice & uplifting ...but not really a destination for serious critical analysis.

[Assasin]

As I said they post the news. What is wrong with that?

If you want critical analyst you can get that.

It is often good to know the little people who are honored. It is also good to know about some of the little spots and activity.

It is a hospitality paper and nothing else. Show me the hospitality paper that is doing deep business analayst. They post the data as they get it. What is wrong with that?

[Don1]

As I said they post the news. What is wrong with that?

If you want critical analyst you can get that.

It is often good to know the little people who are honored. It is also good to know about some of the little spots and activity.

It is a hospitality paper and nothing else. Show me the hospitality paper that is doing deep business analayst. They post the data as they get it. What is wrong with that?

I don't recall saying anything was wrong....merely that all their news is good...consistently.

It's a feel good feature...I'm glad you feel good.