...Stakeholders say they were unaware of tourists being sexually assaulted

The tourism sector was dragged into the spotlight yesterday, following an article published in the international media which reported that more than 70 United States (US) tourists have been raped at some of Jamaica's top resorts over several years.

However, this was not the first time the US expressed concerns. In January this year, The Gleaner reported that a leading figure in Jamaica's tourism industry said that hoteliers were unaware of sexual assault of tourists inside Jamaica's resorts, as alleged by the US government.

Managing director of Round Hill Hotel & Villas, Josef Forstmayr, was responding to statements contained in a travel advisory issued by the United States Department of State in January.

In the warning, US citizens were advised to avoid certain areas in Jamaica. The advisory stated that sexual assaults occur frequently in Jamaica, even at all-inclusive resorts.

Speaking with Dionne Jackson Miller on Beyond the Headlines on RJR 94 FM on January 11, Forstmayr, who is a past president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, said he was unaware of this.

He said it was unlikely that other hoteliers knew about this.

Former tourism minister Dr Wykeham McNeill also expressed surprise at the allegations. He said mechanisms had been put in place in the industry to guard against such occurrences.