J’cans in the Disapora urged to come home for Christmas

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) President Clifton Reader is inviting Jamaicans in the Diaspora to book hotel stays on the resilient corridors of their native land for Christmas vacation.

The resilient corridors, which encompass the majority of the island’s tourism regions, provide the opportunity for visitors to enjoy more of the country’s unique offerings, as many Covid-19-compliant attractions that have received the stamp of approval from health authorities are located along these corridors.

“What we are trying to do, especially for the Christmas period, we are trying to get the Diaspora to basically come back home but to come back in a safe way as well. So what we are asking them to do is to ensure that they test themselves...they check themselves before they come,” Reader told the Jamaica Observer.

He was speaking to the Observer following a cocktail reception hosted by executives of the newly reopened RIU Montego Bay last Saturday evening.

The JHTA president, who claimed that there is an emerging trend among Jamaicans living abroad to stay at hotels whenever they return home, noted that the accommodation rates are very attractive.

“The hotels, this one [RIU Montego Bay] and several others, are waiting for them to come. A lot of them [members of the Diaspora], I see when they come down for holidays they are no longer going to Clarendon...or going into the country areas and staying for the full time, but they are staying in hotels and they are encouraging Jamaicans, their relatives locally, to come and stay in the hotels with them. This is the best time, I think, to get great deals for great hotels in Jamaica; and I think they have supported us throughout the year and we thank them for their support, and we believe they should come back home and enjoy our facilities,” Reader said.

Recently, even as Prime Minister Andrew Holness pleaded with Jamaicans in the Diaspora not to travel home for Christmas if it is not necessary, he suggested that those who do visit should remain in the resilient corridor and help the country’s tourism industry.

“Don’t leave the resilient corridor to come and look for grandma and auntie – maintain the protocols,” the prime minister was quoted as saying.

Speaking at the RIU Montego Bay cocktail reception, Director of Tourism Donovan Whyte encouraged locals who plan to vacation to consider Jamaica.

“I want to use this opportunity to encourage Jamaicans who are looking for holiday and vacationing opportunity for the Christmas and beyond, look no further. There is fantastic opportunity right here in Jamaica for every Jamaican to have a great vacation. And so, I want to use the opportunity to also appeal to Jamaicans who are looking for that opportunity, and I know they are...i think it is a fantastic opportunity,” Whyte said.

Reader, like Whyte, lauded the operators of the RIU chain for taking the bold step to reopen the RIU Montego Bay property during this challenging period which has been brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is a very bold move, as the director said, extremely bold, because not a lot of properties would be refurbishing in times like these, and definitely not opening their doors. So it shows confidence in the Jamaican market, and our minister of tourism has always said that we are resilient; and all these properties, all the owners are seeing that resilience and they are standing with us, firmly, to make sure that we grow the product... [that] we literally recover fast and grow the product,” Reader said.