Tourism has been nothing short of a blessing for 45-year-old hotel executive David Wright. it’s “the one industry”, he said, that doesn’t require having a particular skill in order to be successful.
And Wright should know. As a precocious, if not starry-eyed 18-year-old he started working in tourism at the famed Half Moon Hotel in Rose Hall, St James. He quickly rose through the ranks by applying himself with a certain stick-to-itiveness, impressing superiors and earning the respect of his peers.
Sitting beside his beautiful wife Marsha at their Spot Valley, St James home, Wright related that he went to Half Moon basically to learn a trade and to see how far he could go in a tourism sector that was showing signs of growing and offering opportunities to “upstarts like myself”.
“I did five years in Half Moon where I learned a lot in the Maintenance Department before moving on to Iberostar in Lilliput, St James,” he noted.
“I went to Iberostar as a room technician in 2007 and within the same year I was promoted to room supervisor. Through further hard work and dedication, I got another promotion as the maintenance supervisor… all within a year.”
Wright, who has been in tourism now for roughly 18 years, said that in 2009 when Iberostar decided to expand by opening Suites Hotel, he was immediately switched from his position and given another promotion to be the maintenance supervisor for the Spanish-owned five-star property.
A few years later the success continued as he was given one of the two assistant positions to the maintenance director, overseeing operations at what was now three Iberostar properties.
“Everything I have is a result of tourism,” he said. “I set some goals and I achieve quite a few of them… I am still pursuing some others. I have managed to send my daughter, who is in her final year, through college and I have to give a big shout out to all those who have helped me along the way, including my wife. Tourism has been my livelihood and a great provider for my family.”
Wright, however, noted that COVID-19 has been very unkind to the tourism sector, creating a lot of uncertainties and nervousness for Jamaica’s number one foreign exchange earner.
“Since we have reopened I am back at work at Iberostar and I am very impressed with the protocols that have been put in place. I must also commend Iberostar for everything it has done for its workers, going the extra mile even amid a pandemic, the likes of which none of us has ever seen before, and hopefully will never again see.”
He said the hotel has tried to protect its workers by having them on rotation, a move that “is greatly appreciated by everyone”.
“We all understand the situation and how difficult it is to cover expenses for such a big operation,” he added. “We are just happy to be back at work and doing our part to help our employers to get through what is undoubtedly a difficult road for everybody. I have never been the ungrateful type and can only continue to show my appreciation.”
Wright is also imploring stakeholders on the island’s resilient corridors to do everything in their power to protect the industry, adding that the country cannot afford another lockdown as “we all stand to lose big time”.
“We can’t afford to be complacent,” he added. “Tourism is our bread and butter, the main industry in the country. We have to follow the health and safety protocols outlined by the Ministry of Health and Wellness.”
For her part, Marsha, while not directly employed in the tourism industry, has been a service provider in the printing material subsector and a staunch supporter of “my hard-working husband”.
“I have watched as my husband excelled through the ranks, getting recognised and rewarded for his hard work and dedication,” she said. “Nobody has given him anything on a platter, he has accomplished all that he has by sheer will and determination and an unwavering belief in his abilities.”
Wright, in the meantime, said he doesn’t think the tourism industry has been greatly appreciated as it should, noting that he has often been flabbergasted at how much the sector has been taken for granted.
“I really think that now, as a result of this pandemic, that people have started to see the real importance of tourism to the country’s economy,” he said.
“So many persons benefit from this sector, even those who are not directly employed. In a strange kind of way, however, with everybody now feeling the pinch I think people are starting to understand that there has always been a trickle down benefit where tourism is concerned.”
The wife and husband team also spoke of their community work over the years, especially David, who has spent a considerable amount of time giving assistance to the SOS Children’s Village in neighbouring Barrett Town.
“I also see myself as a mentor and a role model for children,” he said. “I didn’t have much growing up and so I always feel like I have an obligation to give back. God has helped me every step of the way — me and my family — and so I feel like I am simply doing His bidding.”