THE ANDREW Holness administration has come under immense pressure from the powerful and influential Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), which has called for a planned reopening date of the island’s borders for international and local tourism.
“International airline partners are currently looking at their schedule and if we don’t give them a start-up date, they are likely to reposition their aircraft to other destinations which have indicated their readiness to start up,” lamented JHTA president, Omar Robinson.
The JHTA said it has been working in close partnership with the Government for the development of strengthened sanitisation and personal health protocols to govern the operations of the businesses in the tourism sector.
Just over a week ago, Prime Minister Andrew Holness during an interview on CNN’s Quest Means Business said that as critical as the island’s number one foreign exchange earner was, his priority was the health and safety of the Jamaican people and their livelihood.
However, the JHTA said it was cognisant of the fact that not all their businesses have the same resources and capacity, so sector wide readiness would be staggered over weeks to months.
