Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter

The Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) and the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) say they will not support any decision to retain the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Special Visa.

The controversial visa regime, which was implemented as a security measure ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup, officially came to an end yesterday.

But yesterday, both the JHTA and the CHA voiced opposition to a recommendation made last week at a meeting of the Council of Foreign and Com-munity Relations (COFCOR) with CARICOM foreign ministers in Belize, that the regime should be made permanent.

Not good for Jamaica

Peter Odle, president of the CHA, expressed surprise at reports that CARICOM foreign ministers want to retain the special visa regime for member countries.

He said his organisation was not consulted on the matter. Meanwhile, president of the JHTA, Horace Peterkin, warned that this would not be good for Jamaica.

“(If it is so), it is not the right move,” he said. Mr. Peterkin pointed out that while the majority of the tourists come from North America, another 10 per cent came from the rest of the world.

“Jamaica has always been talking about diversifying, that we don’t put our eggs in one basket,” he said. “Now the basket that is affected is the same one that requires the CARICOM visa. So, rather than encouraging a developing market, the CARICOM visa will have the opposite effect of driving that market to other places that will not have such a visa requirement.”

When contacted yesterday, Delano Franklyn, state minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, said, the recommendation by the CARICOM foreign ministers would have no effect on the expiry date of the CARICOM Special Visa. He said the recommendation would first have to be approved by CARICOM heads of government when they meet in July in Barbados.

“The understanding was that whenever the CARICOM visa policy regime comes to an end, it comes to an end, and if it is at an end today (yesterday), it is at an end,” Mr. Franklyn stressed.

At the meeting in Belize, ministers agreed to a process, which would include a review of the operations with a view to determining the feasibility of making the visa regime permanent.

Revert to original laws

Yesterday, a release from the Ministry of National Security confirmed that the visa requirement ended yesterday.

“Jamaica will revert to its original national laws and policies as they relate to immigration, customs and other measures which were temporarily suspended for the hosting of the CWC 2007 games,” said the release.

It also instructed visitors to check with their respective country authorities, and or their diplomatic and or consular offices to ascertain if they are required to have a national visa to enter the particular country.

“Persons who are already in possession of the CARICOM Special Visa and are now visiting Jamaica must also check with the immigration authorities to regularise their stay in the country,” the release further stated.