| The paramountcy of security considerations in | | | | get travellers to acquire passports. The |
| air travel is, for Americans, something that | | | | challenge that has been presented will, I am |
| has been non negotiable since terrorists | | | | sure, open up opportunities for even more |
| slammed commercial aircraft into the Twin | | | | creative means to promote our destinations, |
| Towers on September 11, 2001. If there were | | | | and in the process, sensitise potential |
| any likelihood of a lessening of intense | | | | visitors about the new requirement. As of |
| feeling about air travel security, this was | | | | now, hoteliers, tourist boards, airlines, |
| blown away by the recent plot unearthed in | | | | travel agents and tour operators have been |
| London against transatlantic flights to the | | | | running infomercials, but there needs to be a |
| USA. | | | | heightening of awareness as the deadline |
| | | | approaches. |
| This is the context in which we must view the | | | | |
| decision last week by the US lawmakers to | | | | The Caribbean has been benefiting from the |
| reaffirm the deadline for the coming into | | | | fear of terrorism in certain parts of the |
| effect of the Western Hemisphere Travel | | | | world since 9/11, and is generally seen as a |
| Initiative. Under this measure, US citizens | | | | relatively safe area for travel. |
| will be required to have passports in order | | | | Consequently, visitor arrivals in this region |
| to return home by air from trips to the | | | | have recovered quickly and we are now |
| Caribbean, Mexico and Canada. Having agreed | | | | enjoying real growth. This is even truer for |
| to extend the previous deadline for its | | | | the cruise business, with the Caribbean |
| introduction from January 2006 to January | | | | becoming dominant in that business. Jamaica |
| 2007, US lawmakers were in no mood for a | | | | has done better than the average in the |
| further extension. | | | | growth of stopover visitor arrivals, as well |
| | | | as in cruise passengers. For the current |
| But while insisting on the passport | | | | calendar year, we have indeed been |
| requirements for air travel beginning in | | | | experiencing accelerated growth rates in both |
| January 2007, the lawmakers, apparently at | | | | areas. |
| the last minute, entertained lobbying efforts | | | | |
| by the cruise-ship industry to postpone the | | | | While the cruise side of our business will be |
| application of the requirement to cruise | | | | further enhanced by the extended grace period |
| travellers until June 2009. This is pretty | | | | granted to it, there are justifiable fears |
| much in line with the treatment accorded | | | | among the hoteliers that this may be partly |
| border crossings by land in respect of Mexico | | | | at the expense of land-based tourism. With a |
| and Canada. Clearly, trans border crossings | | | | projected 1.2 million stopover visitors from |
| and ocean travel are viewed by the Americans | | | | the USA this year and on the basis of the |
| as being of lesser ranking in terms of | | | | current level of such visitors who travel on |
| security risks than is air travel. | | | | documents other than passports, there is |
| | | | substantial work to be done by Jamaica in |
| Notwithstanding the lobbying efforts that | | | | particular, to mitigate the potential damage |
| must be continued at the highest political | | | | of the bias towards the cruise business. This |
| levels for similar treatment to the cruise | | | | work will not be made easy by any lethargy by |
| business, it is critical that the key | | | | American travellers towards acquiring |
| stakeholders of the regional tourist industry | | | | passports. |
| intensify their campaigns in US markets to | | | | |