Jamaica's 'resilient corridor' has become the road to recovery for the nation's tourism.
The island's vibrant tourism industry has welcomed over a million visitors since it reopened to tourism on June 15, 2020, just a few short months after occupancy plunged from 90% to zero in ten days at the onset of the global pandemic.
During a presentation today from Moon Palace in Ocho Rios, the hotel's managing director Clinton Reader, who is also president of the Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association, said the creation of the corridor is "the single most important part of our tourism recovery."
The resilient corridor stretches from Negril to Port Antonio and encompasses about 80% of Jamaica's tourism industry and just 1% of Jamaica's population. Since its creation last year, access has been controlled, health protocols have been strictly enforced and vaccination has been strongly encouraged for tourism workers and their families.
The results are demonstrable, though the road hasn't been easy.
When the country shut down on March 23, 2020, 90% of hotel staff - which Reader called "our most valued and treasured assets" - had to be laid off. Many hotels helped out staff with food packages and some pay, and the government did its part to assist as well.
During the months of closure, Reader said hotel owners who could afford it took the time to "slip into something more beautiful" by performing upgrades and enhancements that are difficult to accomplish at high occupancy.
Most of the world was still in lockdown when Jamaica reopened in June 2020, and occupancy was in single digits at first. More blows came when major markets in the UK and Canada basically closed their borders in January 2021, and when the U.S. began requiring negative COVID tests for returning travellers.
But Jamaica persevered, with tourism and health officials working together to make testing readily available and to drive down pricing. Once priced at about US$100, antigen tests are now available for as little as US$20. PCR tests, which are still required for Canadians returning home, have dropped in price from US$200 to US$75. It's definitely still an obstacle for family travel, but isn't a deal-breaker for some.
A benefit of the testing requirements is that it makes it easy for Jamaica to measure COVID positivity in tourist areas. And the results have been very reassuring - less than half of one percent of tests have been positive.
While hotels have included quarantine rooms among their protocols, Reader says Moon Palace "hasn't had to use one in a long time."
More good news for Jamaica came on November 1, when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control lowered the country's COVID designation to Level 3, reflecting a drop in case rates across the country.
The real benefits from Jamaica's innovative work during the pandemic should come this winter season, as source markets including Canada loosen restrictions on outbound travel.
The island's tourism officials have travelled far and wide spreading the word that the destination offers a safe environment for visitors.
As well, many travel professionals have visited in recent months, including some 220 The Travel Agent Next Door advisors and supplier representatives last week, TravelPulse Canada's Marsha Mowers among them.
"You take indicators for the future from your partners," Reader said. "Travel agents are bullish and airlines even more so."
Canadian airlift for winter is still down 24% from 2019 pre-pandemic levels, similar to the UK. And the PCR test requirement for return remains an obstacle to attracting Canadians, though that may change in the weeks to come as pressure is being applied to government and health officials to reduce the requirement to an antigen test, as the U.S. requires.
Over 60% of tourism workers within Jamaica's resilient corridor are now vaccinated, along with their family members. Canada recently donated 370,000 vaccine doses, which will help speed the process.
Summing up the current situation, Reader says the future looks bright.
"The corridor has worked. The protocols we have developed along the way have worked. Tourism is open and ready in Jamaica."
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