Portland, sleeping tourism giant

Christopher Serju, Gleaner Writer

PORT ANTONIO, Portland:ON THE face of it, tourism in Portland seems to be dying, but for some people in the know, like Earl Patrick, executive director of the Tourism Product Development Company Limited (TPDCO), the eastern parish is a sleeping giant waiting to flex its tourism muscles again. He is convinced that completion of the Portland leg of the North Coast Highway will breathe new life into the once-vibrant parish where rafting on the Rio Grande has for decades lured foreigners to the eastern end of the island.

A stop at the Ken Jones Aerodrome is like visiting a ghost town - very few signs of life - but the pleasant young woman we encounter assures us that it is still operational.

Subsequently, Clayton Reid, operations officer at the Tinson Pen Aerodrome, explains that while there are no scheduled flights, the facility still does good business.

"It still operates like a public aerodrome in that private individuals and charters come in and we process the passengers coming in and out," he discloses.

There are plans for an upgrade of the infrastructure, after which is its expected that regularly scheduled flights will become routine at Ken Jones, but for now, things are fairly slow.

"It's not dying," TPDCO's Patrick says enthusiastically of tourism in Portland. "We have had slower growth than we would have liked, and this is because most of the major attractions have closed," he told The Gleaner. "The Trident Hotel has been closed for three years. Work just stopped dead in the middle of refurbishing. Dragon Bay, owned by the Sandals Group, has not been opened, and these are among our card-pulling attractions, with most of the other hotels being small properties," he added.

On a recent visit to Rafters Rest in St Margaret's Bay, a property owned by the TPDCO, and which for years it has leased to private operators, our news team finds that the restaurant-bar and gift shop are closed for refurbishing, and the ticket office is manned by TPDCO personnel. Rafting on the Rio Grande is now the only tourist offering.

Business is slow, which is a cause for concern since the peak season for rafting usually coincides with the start of the winter tourism season on December 15, as well as April 15.

Patrick explained that some 18 months ago, the operators opted to give up the property, which had been allowed to fall into disrepair, and so TPDCO took the decision to close it for refurbishing.

evaluating bids

The company is now evaluating bids in response to advertisements for concessionaires to operate the property in part, or as a whole. However, the process may take some time since he insists they will be doing a "complete economic analysis" of applicants to ensure they are coming with a lot more than just good intentions.

This is because the property will require extensive refurbishing and the company is looking to put in water-sports facilities to offer, among other things, canoeing, and other family-themed attractions. While it is seeking private-sector partnership, the TPDCO would be willing to lease the entire facility to a private individual or entity, with the understanding that safety and other standards are maintained. Patrick is confident that this is a realistic option.

"Rafting on the Rio Grande is still a premier attraction, but with Port Antonio (the parish capital) not attracting its usual visitor levels, we have tour operators from Falmouth, Montego Bay, and Ocho Rios taking visitors for day trips here. It is an iconic attraction. People hear about it and they want to come and see for themselves. So yes, it is still a big draw," Patrick asserted.

The TPDCO executive director admitted that the downturn in the local economy has prompted some rogue rafters to offer discounted packages for a shortened trip to some unsuspecting visitors.

However, the police are now on top of the situation that is illegal, and for which the rafters and their customers may be prosecuted.

"The visitors are still coming, and the new road (North Coast Highway) will breathe new life into Portland," Patrick opined. It is a view shared by Beryl McLean, who was on duty when we visited Rafters Rest.

"Now we have the road, I believe we need to do some more marketing of Rio Grande. We need to target the local market some more. We do get locals, but not enough," she said.

christopher.serju@gleanerjm.com