Nagra Plunkett, Hospitality Jamaica Writer

THE JAMAICA Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) has offered promoters of the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival two hundred rooms as an incentive for them to remain in Montego Bay.

CLAUDINE HOUSEN/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER -Patrons chant, sing and clap to Austrian duo Air Supply during night two of the nineth annual Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, at Cinnamon Hill in Montego Bay. The more than 12,000-strong crowd sang along to songs such as 'Making Love Out of Nothing At All', 'Just When I Thought I Was Over You' and 'All Out Love.'

In an interview with Hospitality Jamaica , JHTA President Horace Peterkin, said the decision to offer 80 per cent of the room count needed for the event, was taken during a meeting with the festival's Executive Director, Walter Elmore, last week.

"The meeting went very well and the festival will stay in Montego Bay, however, I would like to clear up a few points. It was a challenge delivering all 250 free rooms this year as the area was experiencing a windfall in business from the Mexican fallout.

200 ROOMS COMMITTED

Having gone through a very weak summer it was obviously difficult to ask the hotels to turn away paying business at this time," Peterkin said.

"The JHTA has committed 200 rooms for 2007 and feel sure that it will be able to deliver them as not only will we have additional room inventory (Iberostar will open 360 hotel rooms this year) but Mexico will be back in business."

The event, which ran from January 25 to 28, saw an average attendance of 8,000 persons on Thursday, 12,000 on Friday and 12,000 ­ 14,000 on Saturday night.

Last month, Elmore threatened to move the US$2.5 million (J$1.6 billion) event from the tourism capital as a result of lack of support and broken promises by local hoteliers.

He said that the Montego Bay hoteliers had broken their promise on the annual US$50,000 (J$3.2 million) cash and the 250 rooms sponsorship agreement made to support the festival, as only 130 rooms and US$6,000 (J$390,000) in cash were received.

SUCCESS TAKES SUPPORT

"There is no point having a festival in a town where you can't get the support needed to make it a success," a frustrated Elmore declared. "I had to buy villas and use all the rooms at my mother's house to accommodate artistes and production crew as the other hotels said they were sold out."

It was the second time in nine years that the organisers accused the hoteliers of lack of support. Five years ago, the organisers made good on their threat and moved the event to Ocho Rios where it spent two years.

"We are also pleased that Jazz & Blues 2006 was a commercial success for the promoters. JHTA's support will always be there and we urge all other stakeholders to continue to give the required
assistance to ensure that the festival remains successful," Peterkin concluded.