WE HOPE that the new administration of Prime Minister Patterson will make the solution of the problems facing the Tourism Industry a high priority item on its agenda. Naming a new Director of Tourism to replace Mrs. Fay Pickersgill who leaves the Board as of the first of November is of the utmost importance.
Over the past few months the industry, which, is so vital to the economy, has been bedevilled by a number of problems. Even before the tragic events of last September in the United States there had been charges that the Jamaica Tourist Board, which has the responsibility of promoting Jamaica as a destination, was woefully under-funded. The lack of funding had impacted on the advertising campaign and as a result the country's presence and image in the international market place was inadequate and weak.
September 11 threw the world travel industry into a tailspin and the country's tourism earnings took another blow.
Since then efforts to revive the industry have met with limited success even though the major hotels have engaged in significant rate-cutting in an effort to attract visitors.
The problems within the industry worsened with the dispute about the sectors of the industry that should be represented on the JTB. The Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association felt that the Board ought to be comprised of top marketers and made suggestions to that effect to the Minister of Tourism and Sports, Mrs Portia Simpson Miller. Other players in the industry, notably the Villa Association, argued that the interests of the villa and apartment sector of the industry should be represented on the Board. The resulting stalemate has left the JTB without a Board, a most unacceptable state of affairs. We expect that this issue will be resolved before the end of the month so that the planning for the winter season can proceed with urgency.
The controversy over the allegations of corruption in the New York office of the Board remains and we expect that now that the elections are out of the way we will be told of the Auditor-General's findings following his investigations. And more, that those findings will be acted on.
On another front the latest development of a Jamaican link with the sniper episode in Washington D.C. is a matter of concern among tourism officials. We hope that the public relations efforts to protect Jamaica's image can be effectively deployed.
A revitalised and vibrant tourism sector is absolutely essential if the economy is to reap the benefits that can and should flow from tourism.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
