Forstmayr under fire
HEAD of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, Josef Forstmayr, has earned the wrath of some of his members who have accused him of bowing to pressure from industry bigwigs by appointing mainly representatives of the all-inclusive sector to represent the JHTA on the JTB board.
“My members feel that it is an answer to the pressure Mr Forstmayr has been having from the big players and as a result of that he has to answer to them. So the small players are non-existent to him,” said Vana Taylor, president of the group that represents the island’s villas and apartments.
She expressed concern that with her removal from the board, her members, who provide about 9,000 rooms to the industry, now have no voice on the JTB. She has called for government intervention to ensure that her members, as well as other sub-sectors, get a place on the JTB board.
“We are calling on the government — we’re not even calling on Forstmayr to change this thing — we are calling on the government of Jamaica and the minister (of tourism) to deal with the matter,” Taylor said.
In recent months, head of the Sandals all-inclusive chain, Caribbean tourism mogul, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, has been the most strident critic of the JTB, questioning how it uses its limited resources. The JTB has responded by pointing out, among other things, that the JHTA has five members on its board.
On Thursday, the industry body had its first meeting since Forstmayr was elected to his second term and it was there that he unveiled his new slate of representatives to the JTB. They are:
* Chris Zacca from Air Jamaica;
* John Lynch from the Sandals resort chain;
* Zein Issa Nakash from the SuperClubs all-inclusive chain;
* Frank Rance from the all-inclusive FDR Pebbles, and
* Paul Pennycooke from the all-inclusive Couples Resorts.
Forstmayr removed himself from the board, along with Taylor; David Lindo who represents both the attractions and the cruise shipping industry, and Michael Campbell who represents the U-Drive sector.
On Friday, Lindo said that his members would be meeting to discuss the changes and would soon issue a release. But speaking for himself, he made it clear that he disapproved of Forstmayr’s shake-up.
“I personally did not agree with the decision and I was one of the two people who voted against it (Taylor was the other),” he said. “I still don’t understand (the reasoning behind the appointments) but they said the new appointees are brilliant and know marketing.”
But Forstmayr remained resolute Friday that he had made a correct, if difficult, decision and said he had not bowed to pressure from anyone.
“This has nothing to do with any pressure, otherwise why would I have taken myself off the board, for God’s sake,” he said, obviously frustrated. “I want the best marketing people that Jamaica possesses to move in there, and my interest (as a hotelier) is only safeguarded if the best intelligence is used. They are going to accuse me of all sorts of things but I am too clear on what I want. If it happens to be that the most successful hotels in the Caribbean happen to be our all-inclusives well you know, why not put them forward.”
According to the JHTA head, it was time for industry players to put egos aside and find the best way to move the limping industry along.
He added that sector representatives have the chance to have input in the JTB’s decisions as JTB chairman, Bill Clarke, has agreed that five of them can be allowed on the JTB’s marketing committee.