OCHO RIOS, St Ann – Activities to mark Tourism Awareness Week, which was set for September 26 to October 2, have been rescheduled because of the damage to some properties by Hurricane Ivan almost three weeks ago.

“The minister (of tourism) said that based on the damage done to hotels, especially on the south coast and in Negril by Hurricane Ivan, it would be best to postpone activities for the week until December, at which time those hotels will be in a position to take part in the activities,” said Vana Taylor, chairman of the Ocho Rios/Runaway Bay chapter of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA).

Some of the affected hotels will be carrying out major repairs to get them ready for the start of the 2004/2005 winter tourist season on December 15.

But despite the postponement, the Ocho Rios/Runaway Bay chapter of the JHTA went ahead with some of the activities that had been planned to mark the occasion.

Judie O’Sulllivan, chairman of the Ocho Rios/Runaway Bay Tourism Week Committee said plans were far advanced for some of the activities for St Ann, and as such the committee was forced to go ahead with those plans as scheduled.

“We had already planned everything so we just had to follow through,” O’Sullivan said on Monday, while helping to serve lunch to inmates at the St Ann Infirmary, an activity done in observance of World Tourism Day on September 27.

The chapter had its church service and a brunch on Sunday and will today hold appreciation functions for the police in the parish.

On Monday, the 105 inmates at the St Ann Infirmary were treated to gift packages from Colgate Palmolive Jamaica Limited and lunch courtesy of Breezes Runaway Bay Hotel. Sandals, Hedonism III and Sunflower Resort also contributed to the occasion.

“It has always been our focus to try and help the community and we’ve identified the infirmary as one of the areas that are in need of assistance,” said Karoline Smith, executive manager at Breezes Runaway Bay.