By Dennie Quill, ContributorNEGRIL WAS the place to be over last weekend. The party animals descended on the West lapping up sea, sand and stages and largely helped to enrich the pockets of a few savvy promoters. Appleton banners were everywhere in Negril. And Appleton-based drinks were the toast of the town. With bartenders being kept extremely busy trying to slake the thirst of the party-goers, one doubts whether there was time to check whether the teenagers ordering liquor were legally entitled to do so. It is one thing for advertisers to urge patrons to "drink responsibly", it's another thing to have systems in place to ensure that this is done. I ask the question: Who is responsible? Is it the parents? Is it the promoters? Is it the distributors?
An emergency of sorts could happen at any event where thousands of patrons are gathered for fun and frolic. I looked around a few of the parties but my trained eye did not see any emergency medical personnel. I must have missed them because I feel certain the promoters would have thought about this eventuality and made appropriate arrangements. In any event it is time the authorities think about establishing a well-equipped medical facility in Negril from where many tourist dollars are garnered.
For the second year in a row I had the opportunity to observe at close range the tourism product being offered to domestic and international visitors.
ALL-INCLUSIVES
The all-inclusives run the gamut from the risqué to the breathtaking. They are expensive, but the experience is usually good and the service is pleasantly predictable. But for persons simply wanting somewhere to sleep and not likely to avail themselves of the variety of offerings available at all-inclusive, they sensibly opt for the small, owner-operated properties.
But while room rates range from US$30 upwards, the quality leaves much to be desired. My mother's warning, "You always get what you pay for," is ringing in my ear. In tourism, first impression is everything. A bad experience at the check-in counter can ruin a vacation.
I checked out three of the small properties and the similarities were alarming. There was no sense of urgency. Everything is in slow motion. Mind you, the ladies are usually very pleasant and helpful.
At one property there were piles of rubbish at the entrance to the rooms at 5 o'clock in the evening and guests were sent to rooms which had not yet been tidied.
Television sets didn't work well. Air-conditioning units were malfunctioning. In one case the bed and bath linens were way past their "used by" date as the bare threads indicated. And supposedly clean linen showed the marks of their earlier usage. Floors were filthy, drawers had rubbish in them and door locks were missing.
On a visit to a fabulously located cliff-side restaurant, we found that more than half of the items on the menu were not available, because the chef was late for work. Diners couldn't hear themselves because the bellicose kitchen staff was swapping tales about the happenings of the night before. The food was overpriced, and the presentation had nothing on Tony's pan chicken.
The magnificent view from the powder-fine beaches of Negril helps to confirm that we are indeed in God's backyard. One of the vessels passing by had quite a few tourists who were ready for the adventure of observing Jamaica's rich marine life in their, "Glass Bottom boat". I noticed that there was nary a life jacket in sight. Surely, this should not be allowed to happen.
NOTHING HAS CHANGED
Are there inspectors at the Jamaica Tourist Board who are supposed to see that the tourism product is of a certain standard? If the answer is yes, then Madam Minister you should fire all of them immediately. A year ago I was in Negril and nothing has changed.
There is an urgent need to develop and expand training capacity in this service-based industry. The Jamaica Tourist Board should oversee an initiative to design and offer standardised training to all levels of workers in the industry. If that is in place, it is not being done properly.
One dour chamber maid, obviously overcome by the amount of work demanded of her, was overheard shouting to the gardener/ concierge/valet, "Oonu ah go kill me?" And when the guest arrived at the room, she showed just how upset she was with her job. Tourism's contribution to the national revenue is well documented. This multi-faceted industry is also important for the way it influences the growth of related businesses as well as the socio-economic life of the communities where there are hotels, attractions and allied services. It means that we need to harness all our resources to protect this industry and improve the overall efficiency.
And players in the industry have to start handling their Jamaican clients with kid gloves because international terrorists seem to have a plan to obliterate the travel industry so the tourist of tomorrow may have already arrived - right here at home.
Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist.
