Matt Hancock may have ruled out “big, lavish international holidays” for Britons this summer – but once FCO advice changes to permit non-essential travel, avid travellers might be able to make it to Jamaica before too long.
The Caribbean island of reggae and rum is dependent on tourism – it receives more than 4.3 million visitors every year, with one in 10 Jamaican workers directly employed in the industry – and the government is keen to get the ball rolling as soon as possible and salvage the summer.
Jamaica’s famous beaches have already reopened to domestic tourists, as have some hotels and resorts – including Clock Tower Guest House in Discovery Bay, a popular resort spot on the island’s north coast.
The guesthouse offers spacious one- and two-bedrooms apartments – each with its own fully equipped kitchen, living room, dining room and private balcony – and owner Clive Biggs hopes this will appeal to returning travellers. “Apartments offer privacy and a less crowded experience than hotels, which have a high turnover of guests and communal dining spaces,” said Biggs.
He continued: “We have suspended room service and introduced enhanced cleaning measures, paying attention to items including television remotes, door and furniture handles, telephones and temperature control panels.”
Celebrity Villa in Montego Bay, the tourist capital of Jamaica, is also preparing to welcome back its first guests. Celebrity’s chef and manager, Johnathan ‘Mikey’ Grant, confessed he is “a little scared, but excited” to get back to work.
“We’re cleaning constantly, maintaining social distancing and, because masks are mandatory in Jamaica, not seeing co-workers' or guests’ faces. It’s all a bit bizarre, but it’s good to be getting back to a new normal,” said Grant.
Other properties will follow suit. The 400-acre Half Moon Hotel is due to reopen its Rose Hall Villas for island resident stays from June 11. Meanwhile Sunset at the Palms, a laid-back adults-only all inclusive in the popular town of Negril, is aiming for a July 1 reopening date.
Boutique hotel The Cliff isn’t quite as optimistic. “It was a very difficult decision to make but we’ve decided to stay closed until October 1”, said manager Taji Reid. “This pandemic has enforced a new way of living [...] and it is for that reason that we are taking this downtime to upgrade our facilities as well as implement new policies and procedures to ensure the safety and comfort of both our guests and staff.”
However Sandals, the Caribbean's best-known all-inclusive resort chain, which has six outposts in Jamaica, is eyeing a July return. Unique Caribbean Holidays Ltd, UK tour operator for Sandals and Beaches Resorts, said: “We are currently working towards July for UK arrivals, however Sandals and Beaches Resorts in Jamaica may open before this date to guests from other destinations. The arrival date for UK guests will be dictated by other factors including border closures, airline schedules and government protocols in the UK and in the Caribbean.”
Virgin Atlantic’s decision to stop its operations at Gatwick will come as a huge blow to those used to flying direct to Montego Bay, but British Airways has announced it will resume flights to neighbouring Caribbean nations Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda at the beginning of July – and insiders expect Jamaica to be next on the agenda.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness told CNN: "We’re already figuring out ways [to] have controlled corridors of entry, and how to move our tourists safely from airports to hotels, so they can enjoy our lovely beaches and our lovely people.
“That’s key towards providing the kind of service people [will] need in the post-Covid environment.”
Nicholas Brown, founder and owner of Jamaican car hire company Reggae Car Rentals, concurred: “We’re all going to have to learn the rules of post-pandemic hospitality.”
Brown – whose business has been "dead in the water" since the coronavirus outbreak – reported an increase in enquiries over the last few weeks, when lockdown restrictions began to relax both in the Caribbean and overseas.
“People, particularly Americans, who perhaps have a holiday booked for the end of the summer and don’t really want to cancel, but are wary of joining group tours to Jamaica’s top attractions and destinations, are reaching out.
“Hiring a car gives you the freedom and convenience to explore our island, while still being able to isolate.”
While he is encouraged by the “unexpected” enquiries, Brown pointed out that they have yet to translate into bookings and, if they do, stressed his company won’t be cutting any corners. “We’ll be deep cleaning our cars after every hire and paying extra attention to the steering wheel, internal and external door handles and other high-touch areas,” he said.
When we do get the green light for international travel, the message is clear: Jamaica is ready to welcome travellers back - from a distance.
Read my piece for The Telegraph here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/caribbean/jamaica/articles/jamaica-reopening-tourists-coronavirus-lockdown/
