Editorial | Too soon for visitors?

We understand the anxiety to reboot the tourism sector in the face of a plunging currency, unemployment of nearly 500,000, and the economic storm created by the coronavirus.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has indicated that he is contemplating how best to reopen and support this sector, which is also key to reviving the economy. That’s a decision that requires a delicate balance between what is good for public health and what is good for the health of the economy, as many have cautioned.

It will not be an easy dance, for reopening of the travel-and-leisure industry will face a range of uncertainties as countries try to woo visitors to their shores.

Fortunately, there is guidance and support from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), which recently unveiled a suite of measures covering items such as cleanliness and enhanced hygiene and retraining in infection control, to rebuild confidence in the industry.

WTTC Chairman Christopher Nassetta, who is also Hilton’s president and CEO, has this to say about the new initiative: “We see green shoots of hope emerging as our global community turns its attention towards recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. But we know that travellers will only venture out in the world again when they feel it is safe to do so, making it critically important that we give them the confidence and peace of mind they need.”

WTTC’s global industry protocols have been designed to align the travel-and-tourism industry around consistent health-and-safety guidelines that will help protect tourists and workers.

One thing is certain, COVID-19 will change the face of the travel-and-leisure industry. For starters, the airline industry will be relied on to conduct screening of passengers, and when passengers get to their destinations, it will not be business as usual. They may be required to wear masks, be subject to temperature checks, practise social distancing, and be prepared to be quarantined. Who really wants to take a vacation and be subject to restrictions?

BIG QUESTION

So even as the industry readies itself by sprucing up properties, the big question has to be this: Will the tourists come back? An estimated 65 per cent of visitors to the island are from the United States, which has been hard hit by the virus.

There will be nervousness about travelling on aeroplanes, not only because of terrorism but for fear that the person in the next seat could be a silent carrier of the virus. There is still some mystery about the virus, and tourism will only return if visitors think Jamaica is safe.

On paper, the numbers are not alarming: nine deaths and 500-plus confirmed cases. However, it is common knowledge that our healthcare facilities are marginal, at best, and not really equipped to mitigate the effects of an explosion in COVID-19 positive cases. A second wave could overwhelm us.

So after all is said and done, if the tourists don’t come back as quickly as we would like, or in robust numbers, locals will be the ones who have to kick-start this recovery. Restlessness and a desire to get out and about after this prolonged period of lockdown may trigger greater patronage of hotels by locals.

Based on public expressions of disgust by persons who have been treated shabbily in quarantine at some north coast properties, there is a nagging feeling that workers in the industry continue to undervalue Jamaicans.

Here is the opportunity for the sector to show that they value locals, whose patronage may save some of their jobs and keep them afloat until the tourists come calling again.