CRAFT vendors at the world-famous Dunn’s River Falls and Park in Ocho Rios, St Ann, say business is slow, and with the call by Urban Development Corporation (UDC) for a master plan for future development as well as for proposals to operate kiosks there, more visitors will be steered away from the craft market.

But UDC is insisting that this is not the case.

UDC announced in January that it is seeking a consultant to develop a comprehensive and integrated master plan for the attraction, which uses the 188.5-acre property, over the next 10 to 15 years. The aim is to continue attracting roughly one million visitors annually.

Other attractions, such as a rustic dining experience for tourists, have been announced as well as requests for proposals to operate already existing kiosks or logo shops in the park.

“It is their kiosks, but it is just unfortunate to know that they have built those buildings from the beginning and opened up an establishment there that they call a logo shop. When a visitor comes to Dunn’s River and they feel within themselves they want a T-shirt or they want maybe a bag or whatever, they should be able to find it in the craft market instead of having to go find it at the other strategic areas where they have logo shops. That is my contention,” said Dunn’s River Craft Traders’ Association President Devon Mitchell.

In its request for proposals to operate the logo shops or kiosks, UDC said the shops would present an opportunity for individuals and/or businesses of national and international repute to “offer unique souvenirs, artisanal gifts, personalised keepsakes, and custom-branded merchandise that embodies the park’s natural beauty and vibrant Jamaican culture”.

“Even though we are sensitive of the fact that it’s UDC property, we feel strongly within ourselves that whatever operations of that nature should be operated by craft traders,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Mitchell added that even though there have been numerous conversations about the shops in the past, no changes have been made.

He added that conversations about how to improve business in the market have borne little fruit, but he remains optimistic that one day it will change as dialogue with the relevant stakeholders is ongoing.

“If the Government really wants to do anything to alleviate the problem the craft people are facing right now, even though we are operating in a free market space, they have to put something in place in order to look out for the small people. It’s not in the sense that we are afraid of competition but there’s some competition that is not conducive to the operation, especially without creating impact on the small people,” said the president.

Mitchell shared that currently, craft vendors have to wait their turn to go outside the park and to the piers to make a living. With multiple craft markets within the area, he said it can sometimes take months before a vendor can return to the pier.

The president further claimed that tour guides have been deliberately telling tourists to ignore craft market vendors when they enter the world-famous falls and park, and hurry them along if they stop to make a purchase.

“Ninety-nine per cent of the time those visitors are accompanied by tour guides or bus drivers. They [the tour guides] are leading, and the tourists follow. From them [the tour guides] a lead and [the tourists] following, what are the tourists going to do when they walk past [the craft vendors]? Them a guh follow behind them — and that is what has been happening in the market space,” said Mitchell.

He shared that often the reason is that craft vendors will harass the tourists, but he said vendors are “trying to be a little overexuberant to make a dollar” and draw tourists to the market. He insisted they have no intention of participating in harassment.

“What I really want to see happening is that we’re getting more tourists on the property, and we’re getting more shopping tourists on the property. The visitors must be properly sensitised of the craft market and fix up the craft market so that we have a beautiful craft market, so that the people inside the craft market can start make some money and everybody happy,” he told the Observer.

In a written response to the Observer in relation to the claims by the Dunn’s River Craft Traders’ Association president, UDC said it is committed to the ongoing dialogue with stakeholders, craft vendors being a key group.

“We maintain a schedule of regular meetings and are responsive to issues raised. Several meetings with craft vendors have been held over the last few months, including with the Members of Parliament and other stakeholders. We have been very intentional about these meetings and have met individually with the different craft market associations to review and devise solutions to their specific concerns,” it wrote.

UDC further noted that it has a mandate of making development happen in an inclusive way, that places priority on the household economy of Jamaica by creating an enabling economic environment for businesses to thrive.

In response to calls for investment in the vendors, it stated that the “proposed development of Dunn’s River is expected to increase its natural appeal and attract even greater numbers of visitors both locally and internationally. This increase in visitor traffic is expected to drive support for local businesses, particularly our craft vendors”.

Other programmes are also said to be in the works to support craft vendors. However, UDC noted that steps have already been taken.

“The most recent investment in our craft vendors was registered via a six-month rental fee waiver for craft vendors across the country, with our vendors in St Ann being given particular consideration and, ultimately, a more impactful waiver due to the ripple impact of the damaged pier,” said the UDC.

The corporation further noted that there is routine maintenance of the shops at Dunn’s River, including painting and general repairs to answer calls for improved infrastructure in the craft market. It stated that the team is working with the vendors to address other concerns.

“Our craft vendors are an invaluable part of our ecosystem, and we are committed to identifying and implementing solutions that they will find satisfactory,” the corporation told the Observer.

Concerning claims that tour guides are deliberately steering tourists away from the market, UDC said that although they do not manage tour operators, they are “open to investigating this view, as expressed by craft vendors, and discussing with the tour operators how the matter can be resolved to create a mutually beneficial experience and outcome for all parties”.

UDC further noted that the recently announced master plan for the park “takes into consideration the upgrading of the craft market to ensure suitable craft spaces for vendors and an improved shopping experience for customers”.

Despite the slow business and low income of these craft vendors at the world-famous park, many are adamant that they have no plans to leave.

One craft vendor, who gave his name as Ryan, said that four generations of his family have operated in the craft market.

“Most of us only know this. I’m 42 [years old], going 43, and my mother have me from she was 16. My mother used to work here, and her mother used to work here, and my great-grandmother had her store here. Sometimes we nuh have no other choice, and when you so embedded in this work yuh nuh know anything else to do,” he told the Observer.

“Sometimes we come and we make US$20. We nah spend the whole US$20 today; we have to hide US$5, spend US$5, and the next US$10 we try and drag it for the whole week because we don’t know what a guh happen tomorrow. A suh we a survive,” he shared.

Another craft vendor, who requested anonymity, pointing to Jamaica’s booming tourism industry, said craft vendors should benefit from the revenue gains.

“Every craft person a suffer inna Jamaica. Craft people are the foundation of tourism, and we get nothing. At the end of the day, you hear the minister say him make $7 billion or $10 billion out of tourism, and craft people nah make even a million out of it. What they need to do from a long time is make sure that the place is sensitised and make tourists know seh wi deh here,” they reasoned.

“One of the fundamental problems that we have here is marketing. The Government lacks marketing. Sensitise people about the craft market,” another vendor shouted from a growing group of vendors expressing their concerns.

“The whole system wrong and the whole approach, because what the Government do, both sides, them divest out tourism to the private sector and we nuh get nothing. Then they say how tourism make how much billions of dollars, but weh the small people get?” one vendor questioned.

MITCHELL…if the Government really wants to do anything to alleviate the problem the craft people are facing right now…they have to put something in place in order to look out for the small people

Craft vendors say the craft market at Dunn’s River Falls and Park is in need of infrastructure improvements to make it more appealing to visitors.