Janet Silvera, Freelance Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
ALREADY FORCED to lower their rates, Jamaican hoteliers will be faced with the challenge of finding more incentives when they commence negotiations with over 400 international buyers in San Juan, Puerto Rico, next Monday.
The local hoteliers and a number of ground tour operators and their Caribbean counterparts will be attending Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) Marketplace, which is said to be the region's most important tourism marketing event. The trade show will take place at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum Conference Centre, Puerto Rico, January 19-21.
Going into the trade show, one of the major challenges they will face is bringing back their rates to their original levels. "Leading up to this winter season all of Jamaica was on sale and many of us participated," said Godfrey Dyer, Western Chapter Chairman, Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA).
According to Mr. Dyer, it will be very difficult for the hoteliers to keep their rates at a competitive level going into the negotiations as every day it gets worse.
"Two of the island's largest tour operators are already asking for the sale rate to continue throughout February and March," he remarked. He admits that the sale rate has contributed significantly to the heavy bookings now being experienced, but added, "I am not sure how much longer we will be able to offer these 'rockbottom' rates."
Commenting that the hoteliers were literally caught between a 'rock and a hard place', he said that the decision to continue sale rates would be a difficult one: "if you don't give in to the rates you are likely to have a reduction in business."
On the other hand, Joseph Forstmayr, President of the JHTA, told The Gleaner he was not worried about the heavy discounting. According to him, "the environment we are in now is a very competitive one, price strategy exist in every business, Hawaii to Timbuktu is on sale, if you have a product that is not being used it's dead."
Both Dyer and Forstmayr have endorsed Marketplace as the best tradeshow for Caribbean hoteliers. "Marketplace is the best trade show in the business, and that is why so many persons attend, they see the importance," Dyer said, in singing the praise of the event.
The hand-picked group of 400, include buyers -tour operators, wholesalers, corporate and incentive meeting planners, charter operators, incentive buyers, meeting planners, group buyers and dive shop owners are invited to attend Caribbean Marketplace based on their proven capability or potential to sell the Caribbean as a destination.
"In addition to the buyer companies that attend the event year after year, the event, has attracted new buyer companies from Brazil, Germany, Finland, Russia and Sweden, this year," says Lorraine Ortiz, CHA Director of Communications in a recent press release.
