By Fernando Davis

With the raging COVID-19 pandemic impacting and taking a huge toll on every sector across Jamaica, the tourism resilient corridors have been a glaring exception to the rule, stakeholders say.

So much so that some hoteliers are openly declaring that one of the safest places to be is “the inside of a resort where there are some strict and established protocols which have been keeping both our guests and staff safe and in line with the health and safety guidelines mandated by the Ministry of Health and Wellness”.

Andrea Savizon, visitor relations manager at the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), notes that as a part of the tourism restart efforts, the JTB has successfully launched its ‘Rediscover Jamaica’ promotion where, for the past nine months, thousands of Jamaicans have benefited from extremely attractive rates to visit local hotels and attractions across the island. 

“Not only is this a win-win for our Jamaicans wanting to enjoy their own country, but it greatly helps putting back many of our fellow Jamaicans to work in the tourism sector. But, even more importantly, these fellow Jamaicans are now our greatest ambassadors to the fact that the COVID-19 mitigation protocols work,” she said.

The Ministry of Tourism mandated the creation of the Tourism Resilient Corridors, encompassing much of the northern coast, southern coast, and New Kingston. 

BUSINESSES MUST BE CERTIFIED

In these corridors, tourism businesses must be certified by the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), for having implemented to the letter all the COVID-19 prevention protocols with internal systems enhanced with governmental surveillance and enforcement to ensure compliance.

Sandals International Resorts (SRI) is also one company that is proclaiming success with its safety protocols, noting that its staff went through extensive training where they have gone far beyond the mandatory guidelines outlined by the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

SRI Chief Operating Officer Shawn DaCosta said his company remains proactive in the fight against the coronavirus and remains committed to ensuring that team members continue to adhere to health and safety protocols.

DaCosta added that each SRI team member has the responsibility to understand “these protocols” and to take due care of themselves and the guests in accordance with what has been laid down in a “Sandals Platinum Protocol of Cleanliness [Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases Protocol: COVID-19 document].

Melody Haughton, president of the Harbour Street Craft Market, Montego Bay, said her members, as part of the resilient corridors, continue to follow best practices as “we don’t want to be left behind when things get back to normal”.

“We continue to work with all our tourism partners to ensure the safety of both our guests and our members,” she noted. “Of course things are currently pretty rough and a lot of sacrifices are being made. We however are doing everything we can to be in full compliance with health and safety protocols.” 

In the meantime, Clifton Reader, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), said that, since the return of international arrivals some eight months ago, “we are very proud to say that the level of compliance to these strict protocols has been, without question, exceptional.”

Added Reader: “The health of our population is unquestionably our number one objective and, given that fact, our insistence on both staff and visitors complying with all our protocols has worked remarkably well.”

He further pointed out that so well have the resilient corridors and the established protocols been working that staff members have been recruited as part of a COVID-19 ambassador programme, where they “will now take what they have learned inside the hotels into the wider communities to assist in mitigating the spread of the deadly pandemic”.

“Many have pointed out that it is likely that tourism businesses in Jamaica are some of the safest places to be, due to our commitment to the management of our protocols,” he added. 

“We are some of the most inspected business by our regulators, and since COVID-19, we are held to high account by both the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Tourism Product Development Company and supported by the Jamaica Constabulary Force.”

Chairman of the Resilient Corridors John Byles said the ideas of taking “the principles of our Resilient Corridors ato be replicated across all communities of our country” should be a no-brainer.

“It’s time for us to band together to protect our communities by firstly protecting ourselves,” he noted. 

“If we truly put lives first, then we can see that lives depend on managing the spread of the virus whilst responsibly managing our nation’s economic recovery. There is no health without food and shelter as well.”