WESTMORELAND, Jamaica – Chairman of Negril Destination Assurance Council, hotelier Richard Wallace is predicting a robust tourist season for the western Jamaica resort town.

He made the prediction in a recent interview with Observer Online following what he said was a bumper holiday season.

“We started to see an uptick in business from November, and December was also excellent for us. I can say that over the Christmas holidays, just before Christmas coming into the new year, Negril was buzzing. It was very good business for everybody,” Wallace said.

“Hotel accommodations were very high, and the town in general was buzzing with visitors,” he added.
He added that bookings are also looking positive, noting that “we expect that the uptick will continue towards the middle and end of this month, and we should see a very robust season.”

However, he cited the highway from Montego Bay to Negril and the town’s water woes as “major issues” that needs urgent attention.

“I know funds have been allocated for the repair of the highway, of the road now, and so we are hoping that that will start and finish quickly, because we have already started the season, and it is one of the biggest challenges we have now,” Wallace said.

“But what I must also touch on is the water issues that we had last year. The drought has not started as early this time around as it did last year,” he said.

Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett recently promised a fix for the water woes within three months.

Addressing the recent grand opening of the Red Stripe Experience at Rick’s Cafe in Negril earlier this week, Bartlett said: “[Minister of Economic Growth and Job Creation] Matthew Samuda called me and told me to make sure I announce it because the prime minister made the commitment to Negril when we came here.

“The procurement process has begun. The minister told me that in three months we will begin the construction work for laying the pipes to connect Negril with the water supplies all the way from Martha Brae connecting with Great River, Bulstrode, and Roaring River,” Bartlett promised.

Bartlett noted that the investment will create a water supply system that will ensure that West End and other areas around Little London will have an adequate water supply.

READ: Bartlett reminds Negril of goodies coming

He also noted that the planned bypass will ease the traffic snarls.

“We are going to create that bypass, connecting [it] with the Montego Bay development to the perimeter road that is going to bypass Long Hill, to go over into Mackfield, and to connect to White House as a spur.

“From that, we will connect straight across the hills bypassing Hopewell, bypassing Sandy Bay, bypassing Lucea, and heading straight into Negril. The Royal Palm Reserve will become the ecotourism destination with a focus on sustainability, supported by a new water supply system, which I just told you about,” he outlined.