The well-oiled machinery of the resilient corridor has kept hotels safely operating and occupancy levels have again begun to inch upwards. But what about those who work beyond the gates of swanky resorts? Is tourism “back” for them as well? LetsTravelCaribbean.com went across the country to find out.
Glenville Graham
Owner of True Reflections Art Gallery, on main street in Ocho Rios.
His clients are mostly visitors to the island so when COVID-19 hobbled the tourism industry he thought about quitting. He’s glad he didn’t. Graham channelled adversity into the drive he needed to keep going.
“I used [the time the country was under tight curfew] for production and to reflect on what the next step is going to be after the coronavirus. I think we can prepare ourselves for a boom [in tourism] after we get through COVID-19. What I am seeing now is a potential for growth although it is still at a very fragile stage. Everybody is kinda testing the waters and seeing what is happening.”
Royan Marsh
Owner of Marsh Restaurant and Café in Tower Isle, St Mary, his shop is surrounded by several condos and Couples Tower Isle, an all-inclusive hotel. The shop is also just a few miles from the tourist resort of Ocho Rios. Most of Marsh’s customers are locals who earn a living from the tourism industry. He’s hoping more visitors staying at the nearby condos and hotel will stop by and taste the local cuisine he has to offer.
“If tourism is not happening, then it is less income for us. [During] the pandemic, we went on a shutdown for a while. When we reopened, we couldn’t take on all the workers that we had. Up to this day, we are unable to get back to full capacity with staffing. But, as time goes by, we will get back there.”
Mark Campbell
The CEO of Campbell’s Egg Farm in Trelawny is thrilled his major client, the tourism industry, is seeing an uptick in business. One of the local hospitality sector’s leading suppliers of table eggs, Campbell’s Egg Farm faced an estimated loss of over $100 million as hotels scaled back or completely shuttered their doors when the novel coronavirus pandemic first began to take its toll last year. The CEO began the daunting task of slaughtering and dumping his roughly 38,000 birds to avoid racking up further losses. He eventually tapped into the retail market but it does not provide the volume of sales he can get from the tourism sector.
“The news is positive and the mood is upbeat. We are extremely grateful for the recovery of the hotel sector. The workers are back and shortly we will be hiring additional staff. We will now be employing more workers than before the pandemic. The only issue is that the cost of egg production has gone up significantly. This has come about as a result of the significant increase in the prices of most of the inputs such as corn, soya and so on, which are imported. But most of the hotels have made the adjustments to this reality. We really welcome the rebound of the hospitality sector.”
Devon ‘ChickenKing’ Ewart
A chef since 1991, he’s sold pan chicken along Norman Manley Boulevard in Negril for the last two years. He’s noticed a few visitors coming back and he’s hoping there will be many more soon.
“I’m looking forward to the tourism ting getting better, because without the tourists tings slow. We need the tourism to open publicly, so we can have a better Jamaica, a better Negril.”