Jamaica’s hoteliers look forward to good winter tourist season
/ Our Today
administrator
Jamaica’s hoteliers are optimistic that forecasts of a close to 70 per cent occupancy between December 2021 and January 2022, will hold fast and herald a good winter season, despite the Omicron variant, which has seen the closure of borders to travellers from several South African countries.
The winter tourist season officially begins on December 15, each year.
Clifton Reader, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) said, “The announcement of Omicron and the raft of airline flight cancellations and border closures to several African nations by Britain, some other European countries and the USA which followed, caused some anxiety amongst membership.”
“Naturally, we were concerned that it would cause major disruptions in travel to Jamaica, but thankfully this has not been the case. We continue to prepare to welcome guests from many of our major gateways and members of the Diaspora who traditionally come ‘home’ for the holidays,” he argued further.
Reader said that “While everyone is concerned about a possible fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, our hotel sector has earned a hard-won reputation for responsible enforcement of health and safety protocols including our world-famous ‘Resilient Corridor’ which has now become a model for many other countries.“
He added that, “A high level of vaccination among hotel workers, our insistence on the wearing of masks, routine temperature tests and sanitization, give guests a sense of comfort and confidence in Destination Jamaica and this is helping to keep reservation numbers steady. We’re ready for Winter 2021.”
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