HOTELIERS in the Jamaica’s western end are expecting an economic boost with the news that annual festival, Reggae Sumfest, is returning to Catherine Hall in Montego Bay, St James, after a two-year absence.

For Robin Russell, first vice-president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), this is welcome news.

“Sumfest always fills up hotels, there is just an energy for all the bars, the restaurants, the nightclubs, everything that is in MoBay, the gift shops, craft vendors, everybody benefits from Sumfest because of the inflow of persons that come into MoBay for the festival,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Russell is also the owner and operator of Deja Hotel in the “Second City” and, in that vein, is really looking forward to the return in that capacity.

“When Sumfest comes around I wish I had two hotels. There is always a demand for rooms. The last Sumfest, persons stayed as far as Ocho Rios, all the way to Negril, to come to the festival because there were no rooms in and around Trelawny to Lucea,” he said.

Owner of Hotel Gloriana, Gloria Minto, is also in the same frame of mind as it relates to the expected occupancy because of Reggae Sumfest.

“This is wonderful, because it’s what holds up Montego Bay every August,” she said.

“This is something that we depend on yearly. We look forward to seeing that every year,” she shared.

Minto notes that occupancy levels have been fluctuating as the pandemic has had an almost ruinous effect on the sector.

Russell is further hoping that a reopening of the entertainment sector will happen soon as this will also serve to boost hoteliers islandwide.

“We are hoping that this happens in very short order because entertainment plays a big part in the hotel industry. There are some small hotels that don’t have an entertainment package, and when their guests come to Jamaica a lot of them go out, and when we limit what our guests can do, and even what locals can do, it hurts the industry” he continued.

Recently, Reggae Sumfest’s principal Josef Bogdanovich shared with the Observer in an exclusive interview that the celebrated event would be returning to the local entertainment calendar on July 20 to 23.

Last year’s staging of the festival was cancelled due to the onslaught of the novel coronavirus, while the year before saw a virtual presentation. Bogdanovich also disclosed that he has already secured this year’s artiste line-up, but was unwilling to disclose at this time.

The announcement was welcomed by several sectors, but cautioned it had to be held under the right protocols.

Recently, Christopher Tufton, minister of health and wellness, said the Government was considering the possibility of an upcoming calendar of events for vaccinated Jamaicans.

Jamaica’s entertainment sector has been shuttered since March 2020 due to COVID-19, with Government estimates indicating it has lost more than $26 billion.