Claudia Gardner, Hospitality Jamaica Writer

contributed photos Mr.Frank Rosheuvel (centre right), general manager of the Hilton Kingston, solidifies the signing of the Heads of Agreement by a firm handshake with Mr. Alvin Sinclair (centre left), assistant island supervisor at the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union. The Heads of Agreement was reached as a part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement for employees and will remain in effect for the next two years. Present were, from left (front row) Suzette Henry-Campbell, human resource manager, and David Anderson, financial controller. Back row (from left), Hector Chambers, Henrietta Foreshaw, Laleen McKenzie (union delegates), Howard Escoffery, chief union delegate.

As the Sir Alexander Bustamante birthday celebrations approach this Sunday, some major stakeholders are raising concerns that plans by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT) to market the Bustamante Heritage site in Blenheim, Hanover, as a tourist attraction might fail due to poor road conditions.

During a recent tour of the site, caretaker for western Hanover, Donovan Hamilton, said the dilapidated state of the road, which leads to the birthplace of the late national hero, would deter tour operators from taking visitors to the historic site.

"The road is poor, very deplorable, almost impassable," Mr. Hamilton said. "The tour companies are going to be very reluctant to send tourists here. The bus drivers are not going to want to come here. The road must be rehabilitated," he stressed.

The site, which was destroyed in March 2005, by a bush fire, was restored at a cost of $2.1 million by the JNHT. The restoration work included the reconstruction of the main house, and the revamping of the Bustamante exhibition including some physical memorabilia of the National Hero, a gift shop with authentic Jamaican items and several picnic areas.

Chairman of the Hanover Parish Development Committee, Nerris Hawthorne, also contends that the tourism potential of the area is threatened.

"We could never expect tourists to travel on the roads in those shabby conditions. If they (the authorities) are serious about making it into a tourist destination, they must work on the road as soon as possible. The authorities must work on it for the local people too because we are paying our taxes," Ms. Hawthorne said.

But deputy mayor of Lucea, Audley Gilpin, told Hospitality Jamaica that the onus was on Councillor Sheridan Samuels of the Cauldwell division, in which Blenheim falls, and the JNHT, to make representations for the repairs.

People want to visit

"The JNHT has to lobby the Local Government Ministry or the Ministry of Finance to fix the road. People want to visit the site, but JNHT might not get the influx of people because of the road conditions," Councillor Gilpin said.

When contacted, Councillor Samuels refuted Councillor Gilpin's claims. He said it was the Hanover Parish Council, led by the mayor, that should allocate money for the road to be fixed.

"It is a Hanover Parish Council road and I have been lobbying for all my roads to be fixed. Every year when the celebrations are coming up they allocate $250,000 for patching up work to be done. Instead of doing that, the council should pool those monies and fix the road completely once and for all," he said. Adamant that the people in charge of the council controlled the purse strings, he re-iterated that the responsibility was theirs.