Jamaica faces fresh Cuban tourism rivalry

Simpson Miller

Garwin Davis, Staff Reporter

WESTERN BUREAU:

A VOTE last week by the United States Congress, to lift restrictions on travel to Cuba by American citizens, could have a devastating impact on Jamaica's struggling tourism sector, industry experts believe.

"No doubt, it could be a problem for Jamaica," said Joe Issa, executive vice president of the SuperClubs chain of hotels.

"Without the United States, Cuba, for a number of years, has been doing very well in tourism. It stands to reason that with U.S. travellers now free to visit the island, tourism in Jamaica and other Caribbean destinations could be affected," he added.

The U.S. Congress voted 240-186 in favour of lifting the restrictions, which for decades prevented Americans from travelling freely to the communist island. However, for it to be fully ratified, the Senate will have to also adopt the Bill, and the President would then have to sign it into law. U.S. citizens can only travel to Cuba by obtaining a special licence from the Treasury Department, which limits access generally to journalists, academics, Government officials and people on humanitarian missions.

Tourism Minister Portia Simpson Miller also believes that local tourism could be affected by the lifting of the travel ban on Cuba, but vowed Jamaica would not easily surrender its stake in the market.

"Right now we are not doing very well so any other destination offering a quality product could affect us," Mrs. Simpson Miller told The Sunday Gleaner yesterday.

"However, I can tell you that we are not going to fold over and play dead. We have an aggressive sales team out there on the road selling the destination and if we all can do our part then it doesn't matter which destination opens up, we will be able to hold our own. If we continue to destroy ourselves, though, of course we will be affected. No other destination has what we have in terms of diversity and natural beauty."

The Cuban Government, knowing the benefits of tourism - more than three million visitors per year without American visitors - and the positive impact it has had on the country's economy, has been keeping an annual tourism conference for the past five years where it invites the other Caribbean destinations to participate. The country also recently embarked on a reported US$10 million per year tourism master plan, which will run over the next 10 years, and which is aimed at strengthening Cuba's tourism.

However, despite the obvious signs, the other Caribbean islands, including Jamaica appear not to be taking the threat seriously. Karen Ford-Warner, a Jamaican and the general-secretary for the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), said earlier that even though overtures were being made by Cuba to the other Caribbean islands, the invitation has been slighted.

"I went to Cuba for their annual tourism conference and was surprised to see that most of the other islands stayed away," she said. "That has to be a big mistake as there is a lot to learn from Cuba. They are really serious about their tourism."

However, George Patalas, president of U.S.-based Sunburst Travel and who is part of a consortium which is vying to purchase the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, said that if problems, including visitor harassment, continued to plague the local tourism sector, then Cuba will capitalise.

"Americans have always wanted to go to Cuba despite the restrictions," he said. "That is a major market which is in very close proximity. Yes, Cuba could hurt Jamaica."

Last week's vote by the U.S. Congress has also come at a time when the island's tourism sector has been reeling from a spate of negative publicity overseas due to the upsurge in violence.

"What has been happening in Jamaica can only enhance Cuba's image as a viable destination," explained Sanju Chatani, owner of the Taj Mahal Plaza in Ocho Rios, St. Ann. "We continue to do everything wrong while they are on top of their game. It is no longer a matter of when will Cuba open up they are now a major player in the market."

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