Hoteliers optimistic for a good winter
Some hotels in Jamaica are reporting between 60 and 90 per cent occupancy through a combination of local and international guests, fuelling optimism for a healthy 2020 winter tourism season, according to Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett.
He was giving a Destination Jamaica update at the first day of the virtual Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) yesterday.
Noting that the hoteliers have reported “numbers reaching nearly 90 per cent around holiday weekends”, Bartlett said “several hotels are redefining the meaning of luxury to accommodate more private experiences. These include Eclipse at Half Moon, a major new luxury property at the resort that provides the luxury of space, privacy and peace of mind with meticulous health and safety protocols”.
He also pointed to renovation under way at the former Oceana Hotel in Kingston to be rebranded ROK-Kingston – a 168-room property overlooking Kingston’s waterfront, to be managed by Hilton Hotels through its Tapestry Collection trademark.
“It will be part of a multi-purpose complex including retail, onsite entertainment and commercial office space,” Bartlett said.
Noting other developments at Chukka Cove in Ocho Rios, the additional expansion of high-end hotels along the Elegant Corridor in Montego Bay and other planned development expansion in Trelawny and St Ann, Bartlett said “we have been working tirelessly and efficiently to provide a Jamaica that is safe and enjoyable to all, in recovery and beyond”.
Meanwhile, noting that “Jamaica is a destination that always seeks to punch above its weight,” Nicola Madden Greig, chair, JAPEX Organising Committee and past president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), said despite COVID-19 Jamaica is not only poised “to regain market share and survive but also to thrive”.
Added Madden Greig: “2020 was the most difficult and challenging year ever for tourism and the world, forcing us to re-imagine JAPEX and present for the first time ever, a totally virtual experience.”
Pointing to the record attendance of more than 2,000 participants, including tour operators, travel agents, local supplier companies and media delegates, Madden Greig said the participation proved the continued strength of brand Jamaica with international partners from a range of countries including the USA, Canada, Spain, Russia, China, India, Australia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Mexico, and the UK.