Ndothulwe linqanaba apho ishishini lezokhenketho laseJamaica libuyela kwimeko yokuwa kwe-COVID-19, Ukhenketho lwaseJamaica UMphathiswa, oHloniphekileyo. U-Edmund Bartlett, sele elungele ukuqalisa ukhenketho lwentengiso yehlabathi ukonyusa abatyeleli abafikayo.
Amanani abafikayo abonisa ukuba "obu busika, obuvala ekupheleni kuka-Epreli, buza kubona ukuchacha okungaphezulu kweepesenti ezingama-70 kukhenketho eJamaica," UMphathiswa uBartlett idizwe izolo (ngomhla wama-20 kuTshazimpuzi) ngokuqhawuka komhlaba kwihotele yesixhenxe yeRIU eJamaica - igumbi le-RIU Aquarelle elinama-753. Ibandakanya abakhweli abahamba ngenqanawa, iJamaica ijonge abatyeleli abangaphantsi kwesigidi esinye kunye nemivuzo emalunga ne-1.5 yeebhiliyoni zeedola.
Ukongeza, "ukubhukisha ehlotyeni ngoku kujongeka ngcono kune-COVID yangaphambili ngo-2019 kwaye sifika nje emarikeni," utshilo uMnu. Bartlett njengesandulela sokubhengeza ukuba ngalo Lwesihlanu (nge-22 ka-Epreli) ushiya isiqithi neqela " ukuqala iphulo lentengiso enkulu kwihlabathi liphela. "
Indawo yokuqala yokumisa ise-United Kingdom kule mpelaveki xa izakungena noMphathiswa weNkcubeko, iSini, uLonwabo neMidlalo, oHloniphekileyo. U-Olivia “Babsy” Grange ekukhuthazeni imisebenzi yokuphawula isikhumbuzo seminyaka engama-60 yaseJamaica yafumana inkululeko.
Iqela labakhenkethi liya kudlulela eNew York ukukhuthaza uhambo olusuka e-US Northeastern Seaboard, kubandakanywa neNew Jersey, Connecticut, ukuya eBoston.
“Kwaye emva koko siyahamba apho kwaye sifike kwimarike entsha yoMbindi Mpuma. Sidibana nazo zonke iinqwelo-moya ezinkulu, kuquka i-Emirates, i-Etihad, i-Qatar, i-SAL kwaye siya e-Riyadh kunye nokudibana noKumkani uKhalid, inkampani yabo enkulu yeenqwelomoya, efuna ukuvula i-225 yamasango amatsha kwaye sifuna iJamaica. ukuba kuloo nto,” watsho uMphathiswa uBartlett.
Olu hambo lukwabandakanya intlanganiso kunye nabameli beRoyal Jordanian Airlines, njengoko kuqhutywa isicwangciso sokuseka iJamaica njengendawo yokuthengisa kuMbindi Mpuma weCaribbean kunye naseMelika.
Ngekhefu phakathi, ukhenketho lokuthengisa luya kuqhubeka nase-Afrika, eCanada, eYurophu naseLatin America.
Ekupheleni kwe-blitz yentengiso yehlabathi ngo-Okthobha, uMphathiswa uBartlett ulindele ukuba izivumelwano zisayinwe kumagumbi amatsha ehotele angama-8,000 eJamaica.
Enikezela ngentetho ephambili kumsitho wokuqhawula umhlaba, iNkulumbuso, Oyena uHloniphekileyo. U-Andrew Holness, uncome i-RIU Hotels ngokutyala imali kwiihotele ezisixhenxe eJamaica kwiminyaka engama-21, eyichaza njengempumelelo ebalaseleyo.
Wamema iGosa eliyiNtloko yeSigqeba, uCarmen Riu ukuba ahlolisise ukwakha ihotele yesibhozo kunxweme olusezantsi-mpuma, apho iJamaica iphuhlisa uhlobo olwahlukileyo lwamava okhenketho.
"Ukhenketho kunye nokubuka iindwendwe kuye kwaba yinto ebaluleke kakhulu kuthi apha eJamaica, ngenxa yotyalo-mali olufana (olo) lwentsapho yaseRiu, imveliso yethu yezokhenketho ibe yindawo efunwayo kwingingqi yeCaribbean," wachaza uMnu Holness. Uthe kule minyaka idlulileyo ishishini lezokhenketho liye lathatha ukubaluleka “kuba inyani yeyokuba urhulumente ugxile kushishino, enika ubunkokeli kunye nomkhombandlela kwaye egxininisa kwishishini.
USeñora Riu uthe inkampani okwangoku inamagumbi angama-3,500 eJamaica kwaye iqeshe abasebenzi abangama-2,200. Ngexesha lobhubhani we-COVID-19 obangele ukuvalwa, iihotele zaseRIU Montego Bay kunye neRIU Ocho Rios zahlaziywa, kwaye zonke iihotele zabo eJamaica ngoku zihlaziyiwe ngeenkonzo ezintsha ezibonelelwayo.
INTO ONOKUYITHATHA KWELI NQAKU:
- Arrival figures indicate that “this winter, closing at the end of April, is going to see in excess of a 70 per cent recovery in tourism in Jamaica,” Minister Bartlett disclosed at yesterday's (April 20) ground-breaking for RIU's seventh hotel in Jamaica – the 753-room RIU Aquarelle.
- Olu hambo lukwabandakanya intlanganiso kunye nabameli beRoyal Jordanian Airlines, njengoko kuqhutywa isicwangciso sokuseka iJamaica njengendawo yokuthengisa kuMbindi Mpuma weCaribbean kunye naseMelika.
- He said over the years the tourism industry had taken on increased significance “because the truth is that the government has focused on the industry, giving leadership and direction and emphasis to the industry.
