‘Hang in there’
Negril businesses urged to adapt, survive ‘bleak’ Yuletide season
NEGRIL, Hanover — Negril Chamber of Commerce President Richard Wallace has painted a bleak picture for Negril businesses over the Yuletide season.
“The outlook is looking very, very bleak, and I am encouraging members and business people to just try to survive, try to adjust their business so that they can keep their businesses open for the next four months,” stated Wallace.
He disclosed that over the past few weeks, hoteliers have been receiving cancellations.
“It is not looking good. We are getting cancellations. The few bookings that we had, a lot of them are cancelling. And, with the new strain of [the novel coronavirus] coming out of the United Kingdom, and Jamaica just banning flights from the UK, that is going to even make it worse,” he told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.
Jamaica has joined more than 40 countries in restricting travel from Britain, because of concerns about a new strain of the novel coronavirus that was identified last week.
The Ministry of Health and Wellness, in a statement yesterday, said the two-week ban on flights from the United Kingdom would take effect immediately and end on January 4, 2021.
However, the ministry noted that flights coming into the country over the next 24 hours and outbound flights to the UK will be allowed to do so up to midnight on Tuesday.
The chamber president argued that there is currently a built-up demand for travelling, and with Jamaica in high demand as a destination, the hope is that things will get better by December next year.
“We are expecting that once we get past this whole travel restriction, and the vaccine gets out there, and people are more comfortable to travel, we believe that we are going to see a boom and we are looking forward to that. And that’s why I am saying to folks, ‘Just try to hang in there. Just try to survive this pandemic because, on the other side of the pandemic, I believe there will be a boom in business’,” Wallace said.