DESPITE the challenges of the COVID -19 pandemic, veteran hotel worker Christopher Grant is “over the moon to be back on the job in the industry which I love so much”.

Grant who, as evening duty manager at Sandals Montego Bay, is one of the team members on the front line daily interacting with visitors, said he was never in a panic and concerned about safety issues as “Sandals, in advance to reopening, had put together a comprehensive COVID-19 protocol to ensure safety of not just guests, but the staff as well.”

In fact, Grant said guests whom he comes in contact with daily have been praising the resort chain’s protocols which they say makes them feel safe, and as such they see it as their responsibility to adhere to them to ensure the safety of the Jamaican workers as well.

“Listen man, I won’t lie, it was tough when the hotel sector closed down and we were laid off. I was hurting financially like everyone else, but when I got the call that Sandals Montego Bay would be one of the first five hotels to reopen I was excited, ready and raring to go,” the evening duty manager noted.

Grant also lauded Sandals for offering a percentage of salaries and several care packages during the closure to reduce the plight of its team members.

So why was he not concerned about the rampaging COVID- 19 pandemic seeing that tourists would be returning to Jamaica and heightening the risk of exposure?

Well, for one, Grant observed: “Even before we reopened, all team members had to complete our online Sandals Platinum Protocol of Cleanliness course, which not only made us aware of the protocols in our department, but in every other department in the hotel. When we returned, the practical sessions reinforced and enhanced our training. This made us very confident that we could execute our jobs and still be safe.”

Grant noted that armed with the requisite knowledge and the fact that the resort has instituted a complete sanitisation process for every area, physical distancing, the wearing of masks, among other measures, he is confident he has the proper tools to complete the job at hand.

“And what I am impressed with is that it starts on the staff buses, where we have to wear marks and sanitise, and we cannot wear our uniforms to work or on the streets, so as to reduce the risk of contamination inside and outside the resort,” the hospitality veteran remarked.

But despite all the precautions taken by the hotel, doesn’t Grant have any concern for his safety?

“Of course there is a concern in the back of your mind but it’s not a worry, as when you see guests sanitising before they dine, maintaining physical distancing, understanding when you can’t hug them anymore — then you feel very secure that the message has been received,” he said.

On the issue of the impact of COVID-19 on the Jamaican economy, Grant said that the pandemic has taught Jamaica how much it relies on the tourism industry and how great an impact it has on hundreds of thousands of Jamaicans. “On the north coast we were literally brought to a standstill because the hotels, restaurants, attractions, and airport had to close. So, it is up to us to work hard to ensure that the guests who are making the trip to Jamaica feel special and that we have their safety, as well as our own, at heart.”

For those persons worried about the reopening of the hotel sector, Grant has this view: “We are taking all the precautions necessary to ensure our safety and to try and kick-start the Jamaican economy, as without the hotel sector Jamaica is in big trouble.”

Christopher Grant started his tourism journey in 1996 as a trainee at Sandals Royal Caribbean before becoming a contract worker, working in the laundry department at nights and then moving on to ply his trade overseas to, as he put it, “gain valuable experience”.

He returned to Sandals in 2012 as a housekeeping supervisor and did such a great job that he was promoted to night manager, and after one year in that position at Sandals Montego Bay was awarded the title manger of the year for his impressive service.

In 2017 he was again promoted to evening duty manager, a position he holds proudly to this day.

“I see COVID-19 as something we have to live with for a while, so it’s up to us to practise cleanliness and follow the protocols put in place,” Grant exhorted. “Once we do that we should minimise exposure and therefore reduce possibility of contamination.

“I am a Jamaican who is passionate about the tourism industry and I am very upbeat about its future. It is what helps to send my two children to school and I will work my hardest to protect my guests and my fellow team members,” he said passionately.

Christopher Grant is at the front line of Jamaica’s tourism industry but has high praise for his company, among others, and the Government for their professional and balanced approach to tackling the worldwide crisis.