SAJ official wants Gov't to end building of all-inclusive ho

[evanovitch]

Chairman of the western arm of the Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ), Lee Bailey, wants the Government to cease granting licences for the construction of all-inclusive hotels on the island, as more hotels could lead to the wiping out of small hoteliers.

Mr. Bailey said that, within another two years, 7,000 new rooms will be coming on stream and, based on his information, these rooms will be all-inclusive in addition to what already exists on the island.

This means that 80 per cent of the rooms will be all-inclusive.

"It means that Jamaica will be selling a purely all-inclusive concept to the international market. The new hotels will see people gravitating to them because that's human nature," Mr. Bailey argued.

"It will affect the other all-inclusive hotels which already exist. They will see their numbers dwindle. The newer properties will offer certain incentives and this will put the existing ones in a vice."

Houses for staff

He said he had learned that employers of the larger hotels are planning to house their staff in some of the smaller properties due to the housing shortage. His concern is the single concept on which Jamaica will be marketed.

"What needs to be done is for the authorities to add other elements to the tourism industry that will provide choices. That is to ensure a balance with the European Plan (EP) rooms," the businessman continued.

"With the three million tourists that have visited our island, I don't see the restaurants, taxi operators and other small players in the industry benefiting. The EP hotels would create that balance."

Alluding to the fact that Jamaicans make the tourism product what it is and not the hotels, Bailey is suggesting that the authorities take a serious look at the ingredients he said were required to have a complete tourism product, including hotels of all types, attractions, transportation, restaurants and casinos.

Managing director of the Wexford Court Hotel, Wongford Lewis, said he believed the contention mainly surrounds room rates, as against all-inclusive.

"The newer hotels are offering all-inclusive packages at very low rates and their competitors are hurting from that," he noted.

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: SAJ official wants Gov't to end building of all-inclusive ho

The government should pass laws to require the discouraging of guests in thesetypes of hotels from venturing outside. ..they simply cant make laws to ban all inclusive,because the operators will simply call it somthing else,and effectively have all inclusives. All of this is depending on the government removing the criminals within the police force that are creating the crime wave in the country first.

[ohliz]

Re: SAJ official wants Gov't to end building of all-inclusiv

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dr.Dudd</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The government should pass laws to require the discouraging of guests in these types of hotels from venturing outside. </div></div>

?????

[evanovitch]

Bailey predicts price war over all-inclusives

Former Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce president, Lee Bailey says the influx of new rooms is putting a strain on the island's all-inclusive hotels and has chided the Government for neglecting to ensure that the new players offered a greater mix.

Bailey also complained that the authorities had neglected the small hotels, many of which, he said, were now unable to compete with the large, new hotels.

"I want to make it clear that I am not against new investments," Bailey told the Observer at the weekend.
"However, what we are doing now is inviting investors, and all the stock is all-inclusive. We should have looked at the stock and say, 'ok, we have experts here'. And while I welcome competition, why should all 7,000 rooms be all-inclusive?"

Bailey was obviously referring to the new Spanish hotels being built along the island's north coast that are adding 7,000 rooms to the accommodation sub-sector.

According to Bailey, the Government should have insisted that some of the new hotels offered EP (European Plan) packages. The administration's failure to do so, he said, had resulted in the product being diluted.

"It will result in a price war," said Bailey, echoing an earlier complaint from the industry that the Spanish hotels' cheap room rates would drag down prices at other properties.

"One Negril hotelier told me last week that she can't compete with the new hotels, so since they need to find accommodation for their staff, she was converting her hotel into an apartment complex; and this is someone who has been in the industry for close to 30 years," he said.

The Government, he said, should not ignore the local hoteliers who invested in the country, particularly during the era when no one wanted to.

"They should be allowed to flourish," he said, adding that Jamaican hoteliers had taken the all-inclusive concept and perfected it.

He said that the addition of new all-inclusive hotels would only take business away from restaurants and other entities outside of the hotels.

"So I'm saying, competition is good, but not at the expense of an industry," said Bailey. "We now have an opportunity to structure tourism and widen the benefits."

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Bailey predicts price war over all-inclusives

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: evanovitch</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Former Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce president, Lee Bailey says the influx of new rooms is putting a strain on the island's all-inclusive hotels and has chided the Government for neglecting to ensure that the new players offered a greater mix.

Bailey also complained that the authorities had neglected the small hotels, many of which, he said, were now unable to compete with the large, new hotels.

"I want to make it clear that I am not against new investments," Bailey told the Observer at the weekend.
"However, what we are doing now is inviting investors, and all the stock is all-inclusive. We should have looked at the stock and say, 'ok, we have experts here'. And while I welcome competition, why should all 7,000 rooms be all-inclusive?"

Bailey was obviously referring to the new Spanish hotels being built along the island's north coast that are adding 7,000 rooms to the accommodation sub-sector.

According to Bailey, the Government should have insisted that some of the new hotels offered EP (European Plan) packages. The administration's failure to do so, he said, had resulted in the product being diluted.

"It will result in a price war," said Bailey, echoing an earlier complaint from the industry that the Spanish hotels' cheap room rates would drag down prices at other properties.

"One Negril hotelier told me last week that she can't compete with the new hotels, so since they need to find accommodation for their staff, she was converting her hotel into an apartment complex; and this is someone who has been in the industry for close to 30 years," he said.

The Government, he said, should not ignore the local hoteliers who invested in the country, particularly during the era when no one wanted to.

"They should be allowed to flourish," he said, adding that Jamaican hoteliers had taken the all-inclusive concept and perfected it.

He said that the addition of new all-inclusive hotels would only take business away from restaurants and other entities outside of the hotels.

"So I'm saying, competition is good, but not at the expense of an industry," said Bailey. "We now have an opportunity to structure tourism and widen the benefits."

</div></div>
WhichJamaicans have perfected the all inclusive concept?/
you mean those british citizens that ship all their money to foreign shores?/
Or do you mean the largest hotel owner that give millions in endowment to an American university,but very little to the local universities?
Or are we talking the same companies that employs more foreigners in their upper management,(Ofcourse jamaicans are not qualified) as a matter of fact,they are not suitable,or evn worse trainable. that is why they fund foreign universities,instead of the local ones. you don't want opportunities wasted on th e'untrainable jamaicans,do yoy??

So Why should they be treated as if Jamaicans really benefit beyond the mere minimums?
They just use Jamaica as some fishing ground,they just put back enough for bait and take all to foreign shores. Hey how are they any different from the new comers?
ayt least the new comers may cause the room rates to be reduced where they are affordable to Jamicans,with their price pressure.
Hwy this is free enterprise at work, they always complain about government interfeance,when it suits them,but are the same ones to call for it,when they are faced with some effort.

[ohliz]

Re: Bailey predicts price war over all-inclusives

At least the non-AI hotels, particularly the small ones, bring money to locally owned businesses as those people are far more likely to "go out" for meals, drinks, entertainment, etc.

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Bailey predicts price war over all-inclusives

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ohliz</div><div class="ubbcode-body">At least the non-AI hotels, particularly the small ones, bring money to locally owned businesses as those people are far more likely to "go out" for meals, drinks, entertainment, etc. </div></div>
th egovwernment cannot ban all inclusives.
As I stated before and you questioned it. They can make laws to prevent the hoteliers from discouraging guests from going out,but they can't ban that type of hotel.
It just would not pass constitutional courts.