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File - Spring Breakers arrive at the Sangster International Airport.

Plans afoot to recapture Spring Break

Negril will reintroduce mega reggae shows that attracted the likes of Ziggy Marley; project-driven activities for overseas students and a vacation package that reaches the marketplace by September in a bid to reclaim the dwindling Spring Break market.

Still struggling from a dismal 2007 Spring Break, cemented by a disappointing winter tourist season, small and medium-sized hoteliers and entertain-ment operators in Negril say the student travel market is the future success of their businesses.

At a meeting organised by the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) Negril Chapter last Friday, the stakeholders along with U.S. tour operators, Sunsplash Tours, Student Travel Services (STS), Student City and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) examined issues affecting the market.

distinctive competitive advantage

Coming out of the meeting, it was decided that the resort town would use its distinctive competitive advantage by infusing reggae and returning to the days when it was tagged, 'Reggae Capital'. The entertainment venues will also partner with the tour operators to bring in big name artistes from overseas.

Compared with competitors such as Cancun in Mexico, which puts on mega events, Jamaica has lacked the drawing card necessary to attract the students to the destination.

Hospitality Jamaica has learnt from a highly-placed source that a JTB report on how the students viewed their vacation on the island was not very complimentary. Of concern by the students was the constant hassling on the beach, lack of variety in accommodation and entertainment, poor quality food, and disrespect by some local operators, harassment from drug dealers and beach bums and lack of security.

feedback

JHTA area chair - Negril Chapter, Evelyn Smith, would not confirm the contents of report, but she said the feedback from the JTB has been embraced and she looks forward to receiving others on a regular basis. "Only through partnership will we know what our challenges are and how to go about sensitising our members on ways to improve the visitor experience."

In the last 20 years, Spring Break has been the bread and butter for many in the resort town. Up to six years ago, the island welcomed record numbers of 25,000 strong college students, however, in the last three years these figures have spiraled downwards by 10 per cent annually, with this year reporting a low of 5,000.

Mrs. Smith said that contrary to popular belief that Negril does not want the Spring Break market, they do.

"The students are coming from top quality colleges including Harvard, MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Penn State and Boston," she notes.

"Ten years from now, they will be successful lawyers and doctors who not only want to go on vacation, but can afford to go on vacation."

- J.S.