Janet Silvera and Garwin Davis, Staff Reporters
WESTERN BUREAU:
AN attempt by tourism officials to ensure that lewd and obscene behaviour will not be a part of this year's Spring Break activities on the north coast has drawn mixed reviews from local business interests.
The Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Associa-tion (JHTA) last week had a meeting with owners of tourist attractions and tour operators in the resort towns of Negril and Montego Bay. The JHTA warned that serious disciplinary action would be taken against establishments that provide entertainment which features nudity, or encourage sexually explicit behaviour from patrons, noting that the JHTA had a responsibility to uphold the moral standards and laws of Jamaica.
The warning follows the controversial Valentine's Day mass nude wedding at the Hedonism III resort in Runaway Bay, St. Ann.
Some critics had argued that Spring Break, a Government-sponsored event, was far worst in terms of lewdness and portrayed the country as a haven for sex, drugs and alcohol. But while some operators feel the new rules will eliminate or restrict the level of lewdness that has become associated with Spring Break activities over the past several years, others are concerned that they could have a negative impact on business and could adversely affect the island's tourism industry.
"I am afraid these rules could be detrimental to many if not all small properties in Negril," explained Evelyn Harrison-Smith, director of sales at the Point Village Resort.
"How can we say that we are interested in working with small and independent hotels when we are bent on killing a programme that is clearly beneficial to all of us."
Restrictions
Mrs. Harrison-Smith, who is also a member of the Spring Break committee in Negril, noted that the idea to place restrictions on events like the "Wet-T-shirt contest" was ludicrous considering that, according to her, "topless bathing for years has always been an integral part" of tourism activities.
"If we have a problem with nudity in this country why don't we lock down the go-go clubs. Why the double standard?" she asked. "It is okay for the go-go clubs but it is not okay for the spring-breakers. If we are not careful we may soon be known as a land that openly practices discrimination. Jamaica is one of the more expensive destinations for spring-breakers and if we insist on some of these rigid rules they will simply go somewhere else next year."
Patrick Brady, owner of the Risky Business Restaurant and Bar, a premiere Spring Break attraction in Negril, agreed. According to him, the new rules only seek to undermine the efforts that have been put into making Spring Break a success for Jamaica over the years and warned that the country could lose its chunk of what he said was a very lucrative market.
Topless
"Europeans are walking our streets topless every day, why this sudden attack on Spring Break?" Mr. Brady said.
But Brian Jardin, owner of Margueritaville, with locations in both Negril and Montego Bay, and which is responsible for pulling in more than 70,000 spring-breakers over the past five years, believes the new rules governing the event should be given a chance to work.
"It is much too early to tell so I would just wait and see," he said. "Other destinations have their own code of ethics regarding Spring Break so Jamaica is not alone in this. I will not be rocking the boat but would rather the rules be given a chance to work."
Last Thursday, the State Department of the United States issued a travel advice to the projected 100,000 American college students who were planning on visiting Mexico for Spring Break.
"Excessive alcohol consumption and unruly or uncontrolled behaviour can lead to serious problems with Mexican authorities," it warned.
Chris Walsh, operator of Sunsplash Tours, shares Mr. Jardin's views. According to him, "the anything goes" attitude over the past couple of years had to be toned down. Such an adjustment, he added, will not affect the island's ability to attract spring-breakers.
"I don't think the country will lose business by toning down on nudity or on some of the obscene things that have been allowed to happen in the past," Mr. Walsh said. "There has got to be standards and there is nothing wrong in trying to enforce them."
He, however, noted that lawmakers had to be careful not to make the students feel like they have little freedom while in Jamaica.
"People go on Spring Break to blow off steam and release tension," he said. "We have to be mindful of that."
Condemnation
Others, though, see tourism officials, having painted themselves in a corner with their condemnation of the nude wedding, forced to take this stand with Spring Break.
"Clearly, something had to be done about Spring Break," said an attraction owner who did not want to be named in this story. "The Tourism Ministry made an ill-advised attack on the nude wedding without remembering that they were sponsors of both Spring Break and Carnival. If these rules are not enforced, they would leave themselves open for further criticisms."
Spring Break started last Friday and will run through to April 21. Efforts by The Sunday Gleaner to contact officials from both the JHTA and the Ministry of Tourism were unsuccessful last week.
