Opposition Spokesperson on Tourism and Linkages, Senator Janice Allen has blasted the Government for what she says is its mismanagement of the tourism sector.

Senator Allen made the accusation on Friday during her contribution to the State of the Nation Debate in the Senate.

“The Jamaican people are asking: How did we get here? Two years ago, the Prime Minister stood in that other place, painting a vision of a successful sector. But that promise has unravelled under the weight of travel advisories, climate shocks, and rising inflation,” Allen remarked.

She charged that the industry, the lifeblood of the Jamaican economy, “has been left vulnerable – exposed by the failure of this Andrew Holness-led administration to act with foresight and urgency”.

Senator Allen noted that on January 24 this year, the United States issued a travel advisory against Jamaica. “This wasn’t just a notice – it was a direct blow to investor confidence, causing a sharp dip in tourist arrivals. Any hotelier, big or small, will confirm this”.

According to Allen, “just this past Sunday (November 24), a hotelier confided in me, “This is the worst year yet for our properties.”  She said the ripple effect of the travel advisory has been felt across the industry, from the resorts on the coast to the small operators inland, all struggling to stay afloat.

And the Opposition senator described climate change as an imminent threat which is “no longer deniable”.

“Acknowledging it and describing it may be sufficient for academics. However, those of us with responsibility for national development by way of policy response and planning must move beyond description to ideation, innovation, and action. Mitigation and adaptation programmes are woefully lacking in the sector. A situation that was made even more plain with the passing of Hurricane Beryl this year,” Allen said.

She said the devastation of Beryl was more than another wake-up call. “It was a litmus test which we failed in many respects. All assessments and analysis of the Beryl response must bear in mind that we were spared a direct hit. Yet, resorts reported a 28 per cent decline in net revenue for the quarter ending September 2024, and occupancy rates fell by 14.1 percentage points. These numbers are not just statistics – they reflect real losses for our people and our economy,” Allen outlined.

“The likely impact of events such as Beryl felt by our tourism workers and consumers in their place of residence must from now on become separate parameters to be considered. Despite the clear writing on the wall, this administration has ignored the urgent need to strengthen climate resilience within the tourism sector, leaving us vulnerable to the next disaster,” she added.

Describing inflation and rising costs as the third factor plaguing the tourism industry, Allen described it as “the silent storm further eroding the industry’s prospects”.

She said: “Hoteliers, destination management companies, attractions; they are all grappling with skyrocketing operational costs, while workers endure stagnant wages and rising living expenses. The once-vibrant tourism workforce is now riddled with despondency and frustration, struggling to keep pace with the cost of survival. And operators are finding it difficult to keep out of the red”.

Continuing, Senator Allen added: “The opportunity to reimagine, recalibrate, and realign our tourism sector has been squandered. Rather than investing in resilience, innovation, and sustainability, this administration has doubled down on outdated models that rely solely on mass tourism – models that are no longer viable in the face of today’s challenges. Jamaica’s tourism deserves better. Our people deserve better. And it is clear: this government is out of its depth”.

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