Jamaica Tourist Board Holds Virtual Media Session

It hasn’t been easy for anyone in the travel business to show off their product to the world during a pandemic. But Jamaica has managed the task quite well.

The Jamaica Tourist Board held a Virtual Travel Update session for the media on Wednesday, allowing journalists to virtually meet with hoteliers and attraction representatives and get the latest updates on the island, a perennial favourite for Canadian visitors.

Director of Tourism Donovan White said the JTB has been using social media and Zoom chats to put on everything from cooking demonstrations to fitness and yoga sessions, as well as live DJ parties.

“The engagement we received across these platforms let us know that the demand for Jamaica not only remained strong, but grew stronger,” he said.

“Jamaica is known as a larger than life destination because of our culture, our personalized service, our music, attractions and food. We know these are the passion points that visitors desire most when they come to our shores, and it’s crucial that we preserve these experiences in their natural form as best as we can,” he said.

Jamaica’s borders have been open to visitors for a few weeks now.

“For those who are ready to travel, they’ll find these experiences can still be had, but with important safety measures,” White said. “Travellers should feel confident in Jamaica’s effort to mitigate the spread of coronavirus,” he said, noting that the government has worked with experts around the globe.

Jamaica has roughly the same population as Toronto but has had 10 deaths from COVID-19. Toronto has had more than 1,100.

A half-dozen tourism representatives took part in Wednesday’s presentation.

Sharon Hislop, Business Development and Marketing Manager at MBJ/Sangster International Airport, said there are strict health and safety protocols in place at the airport, which handles roughly 70% of all tourist arrivals on the island. All arriving passengers must fill out a health form before travelling and are subject to a thermal screening. The airport also has been reconfigured to provide social distancing, and there is constant cleaning and sanitizing taking place.

Hislop said Air Canada is flying to MBJ twice a week and that she hopes WestJet will start flights in August.

Kyle Mais, General Manager of the Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios, joked that his hotel, which has just 55 rooms and a 700-foot beach, has been practicing social distancing for more than 50 years.

The Jamaica Inn is a luxury, boutique property that now has a second beach with three private bungalows. Among past guests are such celebrities as Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill and Meghan Markle, who held her first wedding there.

The hotel has two open-air dining spots and has created extra space between tables. They also have enhanced their cleaning and safety protocols.

Luxury at the Jamaica Inn has never been about big-screen TV’s or marble bathrooms but instead is about space, peace and tranquility, Mais said.

“Guests can feel extremely comfortable and safe.”

Marsha-Ann Donaldson-Brown, Director of Weddings and Romance for Sandals Resorts International, said the company has an 18-point touch point system for sanitizing and cleaning, a procedure that covers arrivals and departures “and everything in between.”

Donaldson-Brown said social distancing is required for wedding guests and at wedding receptions. Capacity at wedding venues also has been reduced by 50%.

Donaldson-Brown said she thinks the wedding market will stay strong for Jamaica, albeit with smaller parties than what the island is used to. She also noted that Sandals is the only resort in Jamaica with overwater chapels.

Oliver Cargill of Skylark Negril Beach Resort said the property’s 28 rooms are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized after guests depart, and then sealed so that nobody goes in until the next guests arrive. They also have hand washing and sanitizing stations set up at the hotel and offer free masks to guests.

Cargill said the property opened in 2018 and is a sister property to Rockhouse Hotel in Negril, which means guests can enjoy both hotels and get “the best of both worlds.”

Guests aren’t allowed to congregate at the hotel bar but there is table service, he said.

Marsha Esmie, Director Resort Sales at Mystic Mountain in Ocho Rios, said her attraction has added an obstacle course, a rock-climbing wall and a towering roller-coaster like experience called the Ragamuffin Ride, which looks like a thrill-seekers dream.

Esmie said Mystic Mountain also has a bobsled ride, a zipline, electronic All-Terrain Vehicles, a hummingbird garden and tons of other features, making it an ideal destination for visitors of all ages.

Strict and thorough cleaning takes place all through the facility, including the use of electrostatic sprayers.

Mystic Mountain has been open for a few days for Jamaica locals, and Esmie hopes she can open for hotel guests one day a week in August, pending government approval.

Nicholas Watson, Head of International Sales at VIP Attractions, said his company’s airport lounges in Montego Bay and Kingston offer guests amazing experiences both upon arrival and departure, with great food, drinks, video games for teens, children’s play areas and expedited customs/immigration upon arrival. The latter feature is especially important to visitors who only have a few days on the island and want desperately to get to the beach and hoist that first cold bottle of Red Stripe beer, he said with a smile.

The arrivals area formerly had a capacity of 150 people but has been scaled back to 100, while the departures area has gone from 400 to around 200 or 250 to ensure proper distancing.,

Buffet meals are no longer offered, but guests can order a la carte or get pre-packaged meals. They can look after folks with special dietary needs, and they can also whip up macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets or French Fries for the kids.

Lounges, of course, are subject to thorough cleaning all through the day, Watson said.