Even though Jamaican tourism officials expect a return to pre-COVID numbers to take as long as three years, the country’s tourist board is vowing to stand by its tourism partners in Canada as the destination, along with the rest of the world, emerges from the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’re in this for the long haul (and) there is no change in our approach to where we are positioned in the marketplace, including Canada, and how our teams are engineered to do their jobs,” Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) director Donovan White told Travel Industry Today in an interview Friday.
The JTB has always been one of the most prominent and visible tourist boards in Canada and has maintained a particularly “active” top-of-mind presence both here and globally throughout the pandemic, tapping its digital and social media platforms to engage audiences with “all things Jamaican – from our food to our rum to our music, dance, wellness, yoga.”
And White says, “We have no plans to change that any time soon. We are going to stand by our tourism partners in Canada – the travel agents and tour operators, airlines, our media friends – and we are going to ride this challenge out and we are going to come out the other side for the better.”
And in the short term, he adds, “We’ve really used all of our assets to engage the world in wander-lusting and we hope that the feedback we’ve got will resonate when (people) emerge from their state of quarantine and want to get away.”
RE-OPENING
And with the re-opening of Jamaica’s international border on June 15, tourist board officials on the island are hopeful that will be sooner rather they later, though they are consciously taking a “refined” approach to the return of visitors with a controlled entry and stay process that emphasizes the safety of both visitors and its own citizens.
During the first phase of the program, through June 30, visitors are required to:
• Apply online up to 72 hours in advance for a pre-travel authorization certificate (approval takes only 10 minutes)
• Undergo temperature test upon arrival, subject to further testing if required, and,
• Stay at their hotel within the “resilience corridor” – from Negril to Port Antonio
Once settled, visitors will notice strict health and safety protocols (including social distancing and wearing a mask in public spaces, excluding pools and the beach) during transfers and at their hotel, which can only open with government certification (based on a strict set of standards developed with international experts).
While all hotels on the island are not yet accessible, almost every day sees a new opening. Most Sandals properties, for example, are expected to roll out re-openings through October.
The JTB’s Canadian director Angella Bennett advises that agents check with their tour operator to get the latest resort news.
She also warned in a travel trade webinar last week, “Everyone still has to remember that this is a pandemic. We don’t want another spike.”
White says the arrivals process proved exceptionally smooth in its first few days, observing that “people expect some inconveniences.” But he noted that the two- to two-and-half-hour processing time in Montego Bay airport on Day 1 had been reduced to just an hour by the end of the week. (He also stated that no visitor had tested positive for COVID upon arrival).
With the current re-entry measures in effect until July 1, the JTB tourism director notes that protocols are being reviewed every two weeks and will be adjusted according to current conditions.
Whenever it comes into effect, phase 2 will notably include the re-opening of attractions in the country.
Nevertheless, White believes that the June 15 re-opening is the first domino to fall in a return to tourism in Jamaica. The country’s first arrivals were predominantly non-resident Jamaicans returning home, but he says, “the business of travel is slowly coming back.”
And that’s welcome news for such a heavily tourism dependent country, where close to 300,000 individuals work either directly or indirectly in the travel industry.
CANADA
As for Canadians, White acknowledges that current Canadian requirements to self-quarantine for 14 days when returning home is one barrier to a full-scale return to tourism from this country, which on a global level Jamaican officials anticipate could take until late 2022 or 2023 before recovering entirely.
In the present, Air Canada has resumed flights to Jamaica with five flights a week to Kingston and Montego Bay. (Air Canada Vacations is also booking packages).
As for other Canadian airlines/operators, White says Jamaica expects that a resumption of services is not likely to take place until Fall (late September or early October), though he adds, “That may very well change depending on the level of restriction lifting we have in Canada. That depends on the Canadian government and we have no control over that, but I suspect that as the restrictions begin to subside, some of that demand may cause the airlines to come earlier.”
Until then, Angella Bennett urges travel agents to join JTB Canada’s Facebook page to keep up to date with all the latest news and developments (and other fun features) and to visit visitjamaica.com/travelupdate.
“As we say in Jamaica,” she smiles, “Soon come.”