Readers’ reactions

New hotels being required to provide beach access to Jamaicans

I think along with this new policy, the government should design a robust anti-harassment policy as well. Anyone caught harassing or repeatedly harassing visitors and guests should be banned from the beach or face steep fines. – @gadplans

So how is this going to work? Because you’re mixing everyone indiscriminately. Imagine I pay US$700 per night and a man who pays nothing gets access to the same place. That’s crazy for security logistics. – @SelectaLeon

If I want to visit a beach with locals when I’m in Jamaica, I would stay at a friend’s house or a Kingston hotel and visit Hellshire. If a put up a few thousand US$ for a vacation, I don’t do it to be on a public beach. Why would I pay to be at an adult resort and have children on the beach. – @fiahkris

And what of the already established hotels? – @Swarthy144k

I prefer the proposal for each parish to get one fully maintained, with security guard and life guard, free-to-access beach funded by the respective parish council. We will get no where asking the hotels to invest millions of US$ to maintain beaches for non-paying visitors. – @beemillmckie

How safe is this for the persons staying in the hotels. – @Iamthedamion

Bravo! This is necessary. Jamaicans should have a right to beaches. – @mesoshort

We don’t need any more hotels. – @blamemaker3

Uuummm isn’t this what a hotel day pass is? – @thiquedl

I wouldn’t even have guessed there was still land space to build more hotels. – @DuncanAdley

Started liking this then thought how mi no too wah mix up with everybody and a worry bout security when mi suppose to a relax. – @joaplum

It should’ve always been this way. – @zoebrincess

What about existing ones? – @darnells_j

I’ll believe it when I see it. What about existing properties? Does this only extend to hoteliers or does it include villas and smaller properties? What are the penalties and timeline for enforcement? COVID taught us nothing. – @KingDwayney101

Is this requirement in the beach access policy that is before the Cabinet? Giving a requirement to a developer is good and fine but if there isn’t anything to back up maintenance and enforcement then this doesn’t make any sense. Anyways, step in the right direction I guess. – @Mello_Mel27

Readers’ responses sourced from The Gleaner’s X, formerly Twitter, page. Compiled by Khanique McDaniel