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HospitalityJamaicaThe Gleaner

WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2014 KEEPING YOU CONNECTED TO THE BUSINESS OF TOURISM

Caribbeanarrivals upCaribbeanarrivals up

VISITOR SPEND TRENDING POSITIVELY!

Picturesque Half Moon • Sunset rewards staff • Riu says thanks

2 HOSPITALITY JAMAICA | WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2014

MoBay Jerk Fest hailsGleaner’s Janet SilveraKarrie WilliamsGleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:SENIOR GLEANER writer, JanetSilvera, proved that hard work andcommitment will be rewarded, fol-lowing her receiving an Excellencein Journalism award from the LIME Montego Bay Jerk Festivalcommittee on July 6.

The award was given to Silveraat the official launch of the fifthannual staging of the festival, heldat the Riu all-inclusive resort in Ironshore, Montego Bay. Thefestival, which has been growingfrom strength to strength each year,acknowledged Silvera, particularlyfor her work in the hospitalityindustry.

An elated Silvera confessed that

the recognition came as a surpriseand expressed her appreciation tothe festival and everyone else whohas supported her career.

“It is a good feeling to know thatyou are being recognised by thepeople that you work with on adaily basis,” she said. “Tourism ismy love; so I want to congratulatethe Jerk Festival for highlightingwhat is so special about Jamaica ...thanks to everyone, including mymedia colleagues who continue tosupport me in everything that I do,thank you very much.”

Though not present at thelaunch, Gleaner’s editor-in-chief,Garfield Grandison, sent congratu-latory sentiments to Silvera andlauded her achievements in pro-moting Jamaica’s tourism sector.

“This award proves yet againthat Janet is one of the best hospi-tality writers locally, regionally andindeed internationally,” Grandisonnoted.

Described as a natural-bornwriter, Silvera was hailed for herwork in building the island’s pre-mier hospitality news magazine,Hospitality Jamaica, a Gleanerbi-weekly publication.

A graduate of Mount AlverniaHigh School in Montego Bay, StJames, Silvera has spent more thantwo decades in both the tourismindustry and as a journalist. Shehas received numerous awards andother accolades over the years for her work and has also been featured on the American-basedTravel Channel.

THE BUSINESS OF TOURISM

Citizenship for sale ... be carefulbefore making that plungeDavid Jessop

IN THE Eastern Caribbean, theoffer of citizenship in return fora sizeable investment has

become an importantelement in economicrecovery. Althoughdifferent countrieshave differentschemes, the invest-ment related to thesale of citizenship isoften in a propertyand increasingly inthe part-ownership ofa hotel or tourismfacility.

For some countries,overseas developershave emerged to pack-age the sums associated with new cit-izenship into financing the construc-tion of new hotels, timeshares orother forms of tourism-relatedschemes; sometimes employing third-party agencies to seek out ‘investors’who can then be grouped together.

Citizenship schemes, of whichthere are many globally, provide pass-

ports either in return for payment oran investment. Depending on thecountry concerned, the cost can riseto US$1.5 million or more, withrequirements that range from the

challenging to the sim-ple or non-existentwhen it comes to resi-dence.

Among those mostinterested in buying anationality are newlywealthy Chinese andRussians entrepre-neurs, citizens of the Middle East, the for-mer Soviet Republicsand Africa, and US individuals who wantto escape an ever-

widening tax net.Late last year, Grenada became

the latest government to announcea citizenship programme. To help tryto put the nation’s fiscal house inorder, government announced it willbring forward a proposal for a pro-gramme estimated conservatively tobring in US$10 million per annum.

Antigua has a similar a scheme,as do Dominica and St Kitts-Nevis,which offer investment variationson citizenship without a residencyrequirement.

In contrast, St Vincent has saidthat it will not follow other Organi-sation of Eastern Caribbean States(OECS) nations. Its prime minister,Dr Ralph Gonsalves, has said thatthe position of citizen is not forsale, indicating instead that heprefers to see the privilege grantedto those who invest, reside andthen later apply.

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

That said, the thousands ofagency websites selling citizenshipsuggest that such schemes enhanceinvestment in tourism, encouragenon-domicile residence and resultin top-end tourism and extendedstays.

Whether this is the case or not, it isclear such programmes are nowbecoming more closely related totourism development.

In Antigua, just two days after

taking office, the island’s primeminister signed an agreement thatwill see a Chinese real estate devel-opment group invest up to US$2billion to construct several five-starhotels, over 1,300 residential units,a casino, a conference centre and a27-hole golf course on GuianaIsland. It is also reported that Yida Zhang, the principal of thecompany concerned, is seekingapproval under Antigua’s Citizen-ship by Investment Programme forinvestors in the project to acquireAntiguan citizenship.

What, however, is not widelyunderstood is that while suchschemes, if well crafted, may pro-vide a boost to tourism investment,visitor arrivals and an improvementin the quality of the product, theyalso have a potential downside for the citizens of the countriesconcerned and the region.

Such programmes are extraterri-torial in their effect as the offer ofan OECS passport allows the newcitizen to move freely within theregion, and in some cases, beyond

to the Schengen area in Europe, toCanada, or to other parts of theworld that do not as yet requirevisas.

Not only is this creating uneasewithin some countries and the sug-gestion that there is a need toexamine the implications in rela-tion to free movement and nationalsecurity, but it is also clear thatexternal partners are watchingclosely the development of suchprogrammes.

All Caribbean nations shouldconsider carefully the implicationsand risks that may emerge from theunderstandable desire to create newsources of revenue and tourisminvestment. Worse, if economic citizenship without any significantresidence requirement or the mostdetailed and exhaustive of checkswere ever to be proved to have facil-itated criminality or terrorism, themeasure will not only have becomeself-defeating for the country concerned, but also potentiallydamaging to the region as a whole.

JESSOP

PHOTO BY STEVE BROWN

Sharon Parris-Chambers (left) joins Marcel Allen in presentingJanet Silvera with her Excellence in Journalism award, courtesyof the LIME Montego Bay Jerk Festival.

HOSPITALITY JAMAICA | 3WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2014

Janet SilveraHospitality Jamaica Coordinator

VISITOR ARRIVALS to theCaribbean is up in the firstquarter of 2014 and so is

visitor spend, said the CaribbeanTourism Organisation (CTO).

Figures released by the CTO atCaribbean Week in Toronto, Canadaon June 25, show a 2.2 per centincrease in stopover arrivals betweenJanuary and March 2014, with cruise visits to the region up by 2.3 per cent.

According to CTO chairman,Beverley Nicholson-Doty, theCaribbean tourism sector hasrecorded improvements when compared to the correspondingperiod in 2013.

Visitor spend was also trendingupwards, she announced, notingthe increased arrivals and improvedaverage visitor spending in theaccommodation sub-sector so far.A rise of around four per cent intotal spend region-wide is predictedthis year.

“The accommodation sector alsoperformed better during the firstquarter than it did the same periodlast year, with average daily rates

and room revenues recordinggrowth,” she told the media, addingthat this was an extremely goodindicator for the region in terms ofpeople spending both on their wayto the various destinations, andalso while at the destinations.

Regarding Canada’s perform-ance, Nicholson-Doty announcedthat arrivals from this market wereup 3.3 per cent in the first quarter,with 1.3 million Canadians comingto the Caribbean.

The United States, with just

under 3.5 million visitors, continues to be the largest providerof tourists to the Caribbean. How-ever, the Canadian market grew ata faster pace during the first quar-ter. The European market alsoimproved, with 1.5 million visitorscoming to the region between January and March 2014.

Following her comments, Jamaica’sminister of tourism and entertain-ment, Dr Wykeham McNeill, alsohad good news about the buoyancyJamaica was experiencing in the firstsix months of 2014.

REASON TO BOAST

“Stopover arrivals are near theone-million mark, a 2.2 per centincrease over the same period lastyear,” he boasted during a welcomeluncheon for America’s largestdomestic carrier, Southwest Airlines.

In 2013, the country made history when it welcomed two mil-lion stopover visitors, a 1.1 per centincrease over the previous year.

In May, during the Jamaica Hoteland Tourist Association (JHTA),annual general meeting, thetourism minister said the sectorcontinued to do well and waspoised for growth.

He attributed the successes in nosmall measure to the spirit of col-laboration and inclusion of the sec-tor.

Confident that things can onlyget better, Dr McNeill said the sec-tor has been attracting high levelsof investment, many of whichinclude upgrading the product orconstructing new rooms.

His optimism, he said, is height-ened by the bill before Parliamentthat is designed to provide greatervariety by introducing the option oftimeshare vacations to Jamaica’sproduct offering.

Even while the hotels areupgrading and the numbers areincreasing, the tourism minister isassuring the country that muchwork is being done to improve andenhance the visitors’ experience atparticularly the Sangster Interna-tional Airport.

“Great improvements have beenmade to reduce waiting time toenhance the users’ experience.These improvements have receivedinternational recognition, with theairport receiving the first-placeaward in passenger processing from the Airports Council Interna-tional,” he said.

Over the next five years, severalmillions dollars will be spent on theintroduction of new technologyand to re-engineer the operationsat immigration. Customs and immi-gration forms are also being simpli-fied, he said.

[email protected]

MCNEILL

PHOTO BY

JANET SILVERA

From left:Ministry ofTourism andEntertainment’sJanice Allen;Rondel Village’sCarolyn Wright;the JamaicaTourist Board’sTony King; andJamaica ToursLimited’s MaralynMonteith, at adinner at SenatorNoel Sloley’shome in SpringFarm on July 1.

Caribbean arrivals up, visitorspend trending positively!

DOTY-NICHOLSON

Claudia GardnerHospitality Jamaica Writer

ANYONE WHO visits theHalf Moon Beach property in Orange Bay, Hanover, will

agree that it is not only a naturelover’s paradise, but also a writer’ssanctuary.

Half Moon is not one of thoseproperties with a fancy entrance orgateway, but upon navigating theshort unpaved roadway which leadsto the beach, this is where visitorscome upon what many agree is asight to behold, and a place wherethe senses come alive.

For more than 20 years, the HalfMoon Beach offered mainlysnorkelling, catamaran tours andgeneral beach access as its key activi-ties, in addition to overnight accom-modation. But this year, the ownershave expanded by introducing threenew rafting tours, a motorboat tour,as well as horseback riding.

Half Moon has the distinction ofpossessing some of the most spectac-ular coral reefs in Jamaica, so on theSnorkelling and Bamboo RaftingTour, coral reef enthusiasts andsnorkelers will be escorted by one ofthe attraction’s trained lifeguards tothe various snorkel sites to view theflora and fauna of the underwater.

“There are a lot of fish out there– parrots, yellow tailed snapper, redsnapper, grunts ... many differenttypes of fish here and an occasionalbarracuda or two,” owner of theproperty, Andrew Marr, quippedduring Hospitality Jamaica’srecent tour of the property.

RAFT CRUISES

The Honeymoon Bamboo RaftCruise takes guests out to one of thetiny private islets off the mainland,for a pre-dinner rum cocktail, thenon to a private beach where anexclusively assigned chef preparesgrilled lobster and serves champagne,after which guests raft back to themainland while watching the sunset.

In addition, the one-hour Romantic Bamboo Rafting tourtakes guests along the coastline, outto the adjacent islets and stops alongseveral strips of secluded white-sandbeaches which are strewn along thecoastline, where they get to swimand enjoy cocktails.

The other excursion is the motorboat tour, which treks up the SaltCreek River and into the quietnessof the mangroves, for bird-watch-ing, followed by a trip to the reefsfor snorkelling.

Over the years, the property hasbeen an ideal spot for persons whowant to host small group partiesand weddings, as well as honey-mooners. Just recently, it was the

place of choice for the filming ofpart of a German television sitcom.

“We have had shows here with2,700 people. But really what wefocus on is small groups that want tohave a party with, say, 10 to 20 people who want to have a privatedinner on the beach, or birthday par-ties. And if you have a group likethat, you basically have the place toyourself. When we do weddings, theybook all the rooms,” Marr said.

“It’s not like you are in Negril andevery five feet, there is somebody elsethere. We get things like yoga retreatsand people that want to come and betogether as a group, spend a littlemore time together, get to know eachother better,” he added.

RUSTIC SPLENDOUR

Half Moon features seven rusticwooden cabins, each with its own pri-vate space, sheltered betwixt a mass ofJamaican sweet almond trees. All thecottages are ocean-front view, someless than five feet from the shore, andare equipped with hot water, refrigera-tors, and other basic amenities.

“There is no air conditioning andno TV. We are more in keeping withnature. They all have ceiling fans,bamboo furniture, and are quite com-fortable and nice. Rustic – nothingfancy,” Marr said. “We are trying tokeep the place in its natural state. Sowe don’t cut down trees; we enhancewhat’s here. We try to plant more,instead of destroying what’s here.

“If you even look from here (thebeach), you can’t even see a cabin.So even if you are coming in byboat, you can’t see. We have a lotof repeat guests. I would say this isthe real Jamaica. This is theJamaica that everybody wants tocome to. We want people to comeand feel rejuvenated,’ he added.

The relatively shallow, azurewaters of Half Moon Beach areamong the most tranquil, and one ofthe prettiest shades of blue a visitorto the island will ever see, and wherethe water appears to meet the sky atthe horizon is utterly majestic.

The main beach strip is severalhundred metres in length and consistsof sparking white sand, which wouldbe the envy of many beach resorts inthe world. It comes as no surprisethen that Half Moon Beach is among the chosen few of whichphotos have been taken to promoteJamaica as a beach destination.

Half Moon also has a restaurantwhere breakfast, lunch and dinner areserved. A nature trail with footpaths is also open to all guests who visit and wish to explore sections of theproperty, including the garden where a variety of fruits and vegetables, andeven sugar cane, are cultivated.

[email protected]


One of the gazebos at the Half Moon Beach.The interior of one of the cabins at Half MoonBeach.

One of Half Moon Beach’s chefs prepares jerkchicken for guests of the property.

A picturesque view of the Half Moon Beachproperty.

...... sshhoowwccaassiinngg tthhee rreeaall JJaammaaiiccaa

PHOTO BY CLAUDIA GARDNER

Several visitors enjoy themselves in the waters of the Half Moon Beach in Orange Bay, Hanover.

PICTURESQUE PICTURESQUE Half Moon BeachHalf Moon Beach

HOSPITALITY JAMAICA | 5ADVERTISEMENT WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2014


Riu says thanks with a fish fry

Bellmen Hugh Watson (left) and Derron Forrester.

PHOTOS BY DI FOTO SHOPPE

From left: Oshane Vival, Trudy-Ann Smith and Jamil Morrison get down to someserious fish eating, but not before smiling for the camera.

From left: Serving up some good snapper are Seduri McIntosh, DerrickForrester, Cleon Johnson and Marlon Hew.

From left: Sheldon Henry, Seduri McIntosh, Courtney Johnson and RobertThompson at a fish fry hosted by RIU Palace and RIU Montego Bay for its staffrecently.

Nicolas Davis (left) and Julio Adams.Lenroy Hamilton (left) and Troy Clarke at the RIU Palace and RIU Montego BayFish Fry.

Riu Montego Bay and Riu Palace hosted a fish fry for its staff recently, in recognition of their hard work in thefirst quarter of the year. The resorts exceeded guests’ expectations, and this was their way of saying thanks.

HOSPITALITY JAMAICA | 7WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2014 ADVERTISEMENT


Jamaica retains Canadian travel industryprestigious awardFOR THE ninth year in a row, the JamaicaTourist Board’s (JTB) Canadian operationshave been honoured with the covetedAgents’ Choice Award for the ‘FavouriteTourist Board’ in Canada. Through thesesame awards, travel agents collectivelyrecognised Jamaica as the Favourite Honey-moon Destination for the sixth consecutiveyear.

The awards are presented by CanadianTravel Press and Travel Courier publica-tions following a survey of certified travelagents across the country. This marks the15th annual Agents’ Choice Awards inwhich participants were surveyed on theirfavourites across 28 travel categories. Thisyear, more than 5,200 Canadian travelagents cast a vote in the survey, making theawards the largest of its kind in Canada.

“We consider it an outstanding achieve-ment for the JTB team to be honoured by

our Canadian travel-agent partners,” saidDennis Morrison, chairman, the JTB. “Thisrecognition by the Agents’ Choice Awards isa reflection on the quality of our work andvalidates our continued commitment to pro-moting Jamaica as the ideal vacation andhoneymoon destination for Canadians.”

“While these two awards certainly revealJamaica’s growing presence as well as thestrong partnership between Canada andJamaica, it is also a reflection of the enthusiasm and determination of the JTB in Canada,” continued Morrison. “With the help of our travel-agent partners acrossCanada, this past year has been anothermilestone in Jamaica’s tourism history withvisitor arrivals from our Canadian friendsshowing steady growth. These awardsencourage our team to continue deliveringthe first-rate product travellers can expectfrom Jamaica.”

SCOTLAND-BASED MEDIAwere treated to a JamaicaHouse preview at the exclu-

sive launch of Jamaica House 2014on July 2. The Jamaica TouristBoard (JTB), in association withBarrhead Travel, held the launch at29 private members’ club, thevenue that will play host to theJamaica Tourist Board’s VIP events during the Glasgow 2014Commonwealth Games (July 23and August 2).

More than 30 guests were wel-comed into the private members’club, including co-sponsor BarrheadTravel’s chairman, Bill Munro, andrepresentatives from Virgin Atlanticand STV, also key sponsors forJamaica House 2014. The hostvenue was decked out with balloonsand bunting in the iconic black, goldand green Jamaican flag colours, anda steel band played throughout theafternoon, adding to the Jamaicanspirit at 29.

Renown Jamaican chef, LeviRoots, hosted a cooking demon-stration for the culinary team at 29 on how to cook Jamaican jerkchicken and patties.

HISTORIC LINKS

Sir Geoff Palmer, who wasacknowledged in the Queen’sHonours list and knighted recently,also joined the launch line-up. SirGeoff outlined the historic linksbetween the Games host nationand Jamaica, before moving on togive a master class on Jamaica’siconic tipple – rum, explaining thesynergy and fusion betweenJamaican rum and Scottish whisky.

Elizabeth Fox, JTB’s regional

director for UK and North Europe,said, “We feel excited about thewarm reception Scotland is sure togive to Jamaica’s athletes duringthe Glasgow 2014 CommonwealthGames this summer. This is thethird Jamaica House that the JTBhas hosted, and the close historicallinks shared between Jamaica, andScotland makes the occasion par-ticularly poignant for us.”

“Jamaica House 2014 will become Scotland’s hub for all thingsJamaican, so those in Glasgow forthe Games should come along to 29.It will be the best place in Glasgowto support Jamaica’s athletes andvisit Barrhead Travel’s pop-up travel agency, where there will besome great deals on holidays toJamaica.

We’re really looking forward toour private events on July 31 andAugust 2, where we will host ourVIP travel partners and rewardthose journalists and clients whohave supported Jamaica over theyears to help make our island oneof the most popular holiday desti-nations for Brits to jet off to,”added Elizabeth Fox.

Jamaica has a long history ofinvolvement in the CommonwealthGames and was in fact the hostnation in 1966.

(From left): Caroline Donaldson, business development managerat Barrhead Travel and co-sponsors of Jamaica House 2014;Elizabeth Fox, regional director, UK and N Europe at JamaicaTourist Board (JTB); Bill Munro, chairman of Barrhead Travel;Lesley Temple, communications and PR manager at BarrheadTravel; and Torrance Lewis, district sales manager at JTB pictured at the media launch of Jamaica House 2014 at 29,Glasgow.

JTB IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SOUTHWEST AIRLINES Dennis Morrison, chairman of the board of directors at the Jamaica TouristBoard (JTB), brings the welcome at the reception in recognition of SouthwestAirlines’ inaugural flight to Jamaica on July 1. The partnership betweenJamaica and Southwest Airlines will see the island benefitting from dailyflights out of gateways in the United States. The Baltimore/Washington routewill operate twice daily from Baltimore Washington International, while therewill be daily flights out of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International andOrlando’s International airport into Montego Bay. The JTB was instrumental informalising the agreement to have Southwest Airlines expand its services toJamaica.

JTB launches JamaicaHouse at Glasgow 2014


Karrie WilliamsHospitality Jamaica Writer

THE SUNSET Beach Resort,Spa and Water Park in Montego Bay raised the bar

in recognising employees with agrand staff awards ceremony, stagedat the promenade of the 406-roomall inclusive hotel recently.

In a real Hollywood-type glitzyaffair, complete with red carpet,elegantly dressed escorts, paparazzi-type photographers and a deliciousfood and drink spread, the guests ofhonour were royally treated bytheir managers.

Several awards were handed outat the ceremony, with a combinationof prizes being awarded to individualwinners. Cash rewards, gift baskets,weekends for two at an all-inclusiveresort, and certificates of recognitionrepresent the bag of prizes takenhome by awardees.

Among the lucky winners wereNavlett Williams from the LaundryDepartment, who won the Managerof the Year Award; Steve Lawrencefrom Guest Services took home theManaging Director’s Award, whileNeville Matheson from Sanitationwon the General Manager Award.Carlena Allen-Dennis from Enter-tainment walked away with theGuest Choice Award, while SoniaJohnson from Housekeeping won forCourtesy and Smile, marking hersecond consecutive win of thisaward.

SUPPORTIVE TEAMMATES

As the names of each winner werecalled out, fellow employees eruptedin loud cheers, signalling theirapproval. Those cheers got evenlouder when Tadgewayne Dobsonfrom the Kitcken Department wasannounced the Most Improved Teammember. Edward Fairclough fromEngineering won the award for MostOutstanding Team Member; whileSonia Thompson the award for Shift Leader of the Year. When allindividual awards were completed,the accounting department emergedwinner of the coveted Department of the Year Award.

In addition to the main awards,several incentive prizes were also

handed out, recognising a widerpool of staff for their dedicatedservice to the hotel.

Adding to the excitement of theevening was a scintillating perform-ance from reigning cabaret queen,Karen Smith; who went around thepromenade intimately serenadingemployees. Had the event been aconcert, Smith would inevitably becalled back for an encore, as she

had many of the employees gettingout of their seats and on to thedance floor throughout her set.

Mayor of Montego Bay, CouncillorGlendon Harris, who was the night’sguest speaker, thanked the employeesfor their efforts in building MontegoBay and by extension, the island’stourism industry, encouraging themto continue striving for even higherlevels of excellence.

Bertral Gordon presents Sonia Johnson with a plaque for her second consecutive win of the Smile and Courtesy award atthe Sunset Beach Resort, Spa and Waterpark 2013 StaffAwards.

PHOTOS BY KARRIE WILLIAMS

From left: Chenelle Budram (front office intern) and the HRteam of Kerene Kirlew, Danielle Godson and DorianneDarmand are a show of elegance at Sunset Beach Resort Spaand Waterpark Staff Awards.

SUNSETrewards its staff

Stylish couple, Jordi andKeturah Reid are all smiles atSunset Beach Resort, Spaand Waterpark Staff Awards.

Human resources manager,Doreen Palmer, is joined onthe red carpet for a photo opby sales and marketing exe-cutive, Alisteer Nelson, atSunset Beach Resort, Spaand Waterpark Staff Awards.

General ManagerEvatt Bloomfieldpresents NavletteWilliams with a giftbasket which con-stitutes just one ofthe many prizesshe received forwinning Managerof the Year at theSunset BeachResort, Spa andWaterpark 2013Staff Awards.


Paul H. WilliamsHospitality Jamaica Writer

YOU SEE Gloria ‘Mama G’Simms, going around, sometimesbarefooted, in her traditional

burlap attire and matching headwearaccented with natural material, andright away she reminds you of anotherwoman with her regal bearing and no-nonsense demeanour.

That other woman is national heroine,Queen Nanny of the Maroons.

So, it came as no surprise when theproducers of the full-length documen-tary, Queen Nanny of the Maroons,selected her to play the role of Nanny.Other names were mentioned, butaccording to Roy T. Anderson, pro-ducer, Mama G was the naturalchoice. “She embodies everything thatsymbolises the qualities that Nannyhad ... quiet humility, strength, spiritu-ality, the total package,” Andersonsaid.

According to him, other names weretossed around, but it was Mama Gwhom he saw “without a doubt as the21st century reincarnation of Nanny”.

He is happy with the choice he hasmade, especially with the fact MamaG was recently installed paramountMaroon chief (gaa’mang) by theOkanisi Maroons of Suriname.

She was hand-picked by the gaa’mangof another tribe, who was impressed withMama G when she visited Suriname lastyear. Thus, for Mama G, she believes shewas selected “because people see theimage of Nanny in my daily lifestyle, theway I live, the way I move. It’s a veryhonourable role to play”, she said.

STRENGTHENED WOMEN

Mama G told Hospitality Jamaicathat one of the reasons she accepted therole was to help strengthen women toidentify themselves with the image ofNanny, a strong African woman whoresisted the oppressors.

“That is the main reason for doingthis movie,” she said.

This is her first major acting role, andMama G believes she was born to playNanny. At first, she said she was a littlenervous, but she just listened to andobey the directors. “They believe I amnatural ... I believe it (performance sofar) is good, and I am doing my best,”she said.

Director of photography, Jahsen Levy,in speaking about Mama G’s acting, alsobelieves, “She is brilliant in the way inwhich she carries herself. I have nevermet Nanny, but in meeting Mama G, mifeel like mi meet Nanny ... at minimum,the softer side of Nanny.”

Anderson concurs, stating, “MamaG’s appearance is magnificent!”

Nanny’s domains were in the ruggedterrains of what is now known as theBlue and John Crow Mountains. She

PHOTO BY PAUL WILLIAMS

Gloria ‘Mama G’ Simms playsNanny in the documentary,‘Queen Nanny of the Maroons’.

Lloyd ‘Akinsanya’ Palmerfixes ‘Nanny’s’ headwearmade of dried bananaleaves.

Producer Roy T. Andersonfixes Gloria ‘Mama G’ Simmsbefore shooting a scene forthe documentary, ‘QueenNanny of the Maroons’.

Director of photography,Jahsen Levy, in speakingabout Gloria Simms’ actingabilities says, “She is bril-liant in the way in which shecarries herself.”

Queen Nannyof the MaroonsQueen Nannyof the MaroonsQueen Nannyof the MaroonsQueen Nannyof the MaroonsQueen Nannyof the Maroons

Gloria Simms is


FOR MANY years the DiageoLearning for Life programme hasassisted in shaping the lives ofthousands of underprivileged andunskilled individuals by providingthem with the talents and expertiseneeded to become employable.

Learning for Life graduates havegone on to add value to many busi-nesses, aiding in nation buildingwhile encouraging others to be apart of the programme. They con-tinue to spread the word about itsmany benefits.

According to Dianne Ashton

Smith, head of corporate relationsat Red Stripe, “Our students arealways grateful for the opportunityto take them out of a life of hope-lessness to a life where, to borrowthe words of Ernie Els, ‘they feellike they can start winning again’,”she said.

“We are proud to say that of the11,000 graduates enrolled in theprogramme since it started, approx-imately 40 per cent are gainfullyemployed, some on the CarnivalCruise Lines, some running theirown micro-businesses, and othersemployed by a number of our own

customers who own and/or operatesupermarkets, hotels, restaurantsand bars.” Ashton Smith added

Last year, over 3,000 studentsgraduated from the programme,which has become increasinglymore expensive to run. This year,through a partnership with Johnnie

Walker and the Tryall Golf andCountry Club, a charity golf tour-nament will be held on Saturday,July 19 in Hanover.

The tournament will commenceon Friday with practice rounds allday, followed by a welcome recep-tion at 7 p.m. On Saturday, July 19 the tournament will tee off at 8 a.m., followed by an after partyand awards ceremony at 6:30 p.m.at the Beach Terrace.

The entry fee for the local GolfClassic will be $20,000 and regis-tration is currently under way.

Johnnie Walker to host charity golf tournament

resided in Nanny Town, which isstill today one of the most remoteparts of Jamaica, and to put thefilm into its true environmentalcontext, the producers brought ateam including Maroons from allover Jamaica, park rangers, JamaicaDefence Force soldiers, huntersand guides and the HospitalityJamaica team on a four-day expe-dition to Old Nanny Town.

“This is an environment thatMama G claims as her own,”Anderson said.

He was particularly impressedwith the fact that she trekked toOld Nanny Town barefooted, “upthe precipice, across the river,down embankments”.

Mama G is special, he said. Levy,who said the trek to Nanny Townwas “unequivocally the roughesttrip” that he has ever made in hislife, was equally impressed withMama G’s physical fortitude.

SELF-MADE COSTUMES

She “went barefooted on mud,rock, sticks, slide down, climb up,dig her toe in the ground like a realMaroon”, Levy said about thewoman who used natural materialshe found on the set and in thebushes to dress herself just likeNanny did. He was even moreamazed that Mama G used materialshe got from the production, alongwith some of hers, to make her owncostumes.

Mama G sees the sometimes bru-tal terrains as the place in whichNanny’s spirit dwells. She said it wasappropriate to do justice to Nanny’sspirit. “People seeing the documen-tary will get an idea of what Nannyhad been through ... and they mustnot take it for granted now that theyare living in certain luxury,” MamaG said.

Having landed the role of a life-time, this has not changed her, andshe does not think it will have a bigimpact on her personal life.

She said she doesn’t feel any dif-ferent playing the role of Nanny,

because she has always been on thefrontline working for people.

Being on film is another way oftelling the story of the Maroons.

“I don’t really feel like a star, butI feel honoured and humbled ... Idon’t see a star. I see someone whowants to do something to save thepeople, and what does it take?Show me and I’ll do it,” she asserted. Even after the film hasbeen screened, Mama G said stardom will not be swirling around her head because “the spirit will not allow it”.

PHOTOS BY PAUL WILLIAMS

From left: The West brothers, Gerald, Ewart and Clinton, real-life hog hunters of Portland, are also hog hunters in the docu-mentary, ‘Queen Nanny of the Maroons’.

From left: Director of photography Jahsen Levy; productionassistant, Maurice Lee; producer Roy T. Anderson and produc-tion assistant, Tajay McLeod getting ready to shoot a scene onthe set of ‘Queen Nanny of the Maroons’.

Some members of the film crew of ‘Queen Nanny of theMaroons’ returning from Old Nanny Town, way in the hills of theBlue and John Crow Mountains.

‘Queen Nanny of the Maroons’was partly shot on location inthe rugged and precipitousterrains of the Blue and JohnCrow Mountains.


AS IF the ‘near-death’ wild-hog huntexperience in the hills of Zion, Portland, earlier this year were not

enough, on Friday, June 20, I, the ageingadventurous one, embarked upon anotherhilly trek, this time to Sambo Hill in thesaid parish.

From the get-go at Charles Town, it was up,up, up, and in order to prevent cramps, I wasat my slowest best. Soon, a television producerand I were at the back, struggling very early inthe journey. Luckily, I had only a small cam-corder and two small bottles of water.

Before we were left alone, we were giveninstructions as to what to look out for so asnot to get lost. In addition, modern-day andprimitive technologies were used to keep usin touch. I had no functional phone on me,so I used my big voice, which was to add avery interesting story to the trip.

At a certain point, we saw a little housein the middle of nowhere. We were at a forkon the trail. Two roads before us, pick one.On the right, we saw the marker that wasleft for us. So we turned right. By now, wewere very exhausted. As we went up, weheard voices. So the rest of them was waiting for us? Then I realised they wereasking for people who I had thought werewell ahead of me.

That was when the technologies, theshouts and the phones, came into play morethan ever. Four people were ‘missing’. Theyhad taken the left path at the fork. While we

were waiting for them, I got the idea to walkup the path alone, just to give myself a push,and time to embrace nature. That joy at timeswas spoilt by the scent of rotten mangoes.Soon, the rest of the crew caught up with me,and I apologised for my waywardness.

AFRICAN ANCESTOR

And after a while, I was at the back onceagain. Actually, three of us were. But wewere not alone. Behind us was a little man,and when I saw him with a machete, I saidto the other two, “Look pon Quaco, lookpon Cudjo, look pon Quao.”

But they pressed on. I stopped and whenhe was face to face with me, I saw myAfrican ancestors. I approached him andhugged him around his left shoulder, justlike that.

He joined us, the stragglers, and I chattedwith him, as we navigated the rocky terrains,to find out who he was. But, the little man,who moved like a surefooted mountain goat,went ahead of us, up the brutal paths of steepinclines, scattered milk-white rocks, slipperybamboo leaves, rotten mango odour. Theworst part was a winding path of unevenstones on a steep terrain. Fortunately, there

were trees to hold on to. My legs were fine,but I was so tired, I felt like sleeping on a car-pet of bamboo leaves.

Yet, I enjoyed walking under the dream-like arbour created by bent rose apple trees.As short as I am, I had to bend my head attimes under these seemingly weeping trees.The story is that they have been curved bythe weight of the cacoons that hang fromthem. Cacoons are huge seeds grown inpods that hang from vines. The Maroonsused them as food and to send messages bytugging their vines.

Nowadays, cacoons are stewed and eaten,

Orville Beckford, who lives in theSambo Hill area of Portland, guidedHospitality Jamaica writer, Paul H.Williams, down rugged Sambo Hillunder the cloak of darkness on Friday,June 20.

A rugged path up Sambo Hill, Portland.

For Tajay McLeod, walking up and down brutal Sambo Hill was a walk in the park. PHOTOS BY PAUL WILLIAMS

The beginning of the long trek to Sambo Hill.

AROUND JA WITH PAUL H.

Me, the crewand the ‘Cricket’on Sambo Hill


Jamaica Inn’s Ocean Spa honoured in ‘Travel+ Leisure’ 2014 World’s Best AwardsTRAVEL + Leisure, one of the most celebrated travelmagazines in the United States, revealed last week thatJamaica Inn’s Ocean Spa was the top hotel spa in theCaribbean, Bermuda, and The Bahamas and No. 6 in theworld in the Travel + Leisure 2014 World’s Best Awards.

General manager, Kyle Mais, commented on the acco-lade, stating that this was an incredible accomplishmentand honour for the hotel and its newly renovated OceanSpa.

“Admittedly, we are blessed with an amazing setting.However, just a year ago, we embarked on an ambi-tious journey to become one of the finest spas in theindustry and I am so proud of my team for believing inthemselves, relentlessly pursuing excellence – and in sodoing, taking the overall guest-satisfaction levels to awhole other level. This really does feel somewhat like aDavid-and-Goliath achievement, encouraging theteam to push the boundaries of products and serviceseven further to better serve our guests.”

Now in its 19th year, Travel + Leisure readersvoted on their favourite hotels, resorts, spas, airlines,cruise lines, tour operators, rental-car agencies, andmore, in the annual World’s Best Awards survey, honouring the best of the best in travel.

Results are available now on TravelandLeisure.comand will be featured in the August issue of Travel +Leisure on newsstands July 18, 2014.

Located in beautiful Ocho Rios, Jamaica Inn boastsan eight-acre property situated on a private cove withan offshore reef two miles east of the town centre.With a 700-foot private white-sand beach consideredto be one of the best in the Caribbean, this boutiquehotel is the perfect getaway for the traveller seekingunassuming style and great service.

Family-owned since 1958 and boasting a roster of famedguests including Marilyn Monroe, Ian Fleming andKathryn Hepburn, Jamaica Inn offers timeless elegance andrelaxed luxury on the best white-sand beach in Jamaica. Tree House at Jamaica Inn.

and are also used to make costume jewellery.In my weary state, they were pretty tobehold, but too heavy to carry. I could onlycarry myself to the peak of Sambo Hill fromwhich offers fantastic views of the Portlandcoastline to the north, and breathtaking val-leys and mountains to the south.

They were worth the trudge.The film crew was already shooting when

I reached. We were now on a slope of sorts,with the community of Bybrook way, waybelow. The meandering Spanish River washardly visible. Mountain peaks rose overyonder. More peaks were behind yonder –cloud-covered ones. A jackass brayed several times, perhaps telling us the world isnot level.

There were refreshments amid the shoot-ing and the laughter, and the little man,

who told us his name was Orville Beckford,was in the party. And as evening shadowscrawled over the hills, we were ready toleave the mountain that we had conquered.The descent was expected to be easier, but itwas weak knees against gravity for me. Iwanted to pass the stony, winding sectionbefore dark, and it was now twilight, so Istarted the journey back first.

PERFECT STRANGER

Before long, night came. In the dark backto Charles Town, Orville was with me. Theothers had left us, but he said he wouldnever leave me. My left knee hurt, but I wasstill in good spirits. Orville guided me overthe loose rocks. He even cut a piece of stillfor me to steady my movement, and atpoints when it got really rough in the dark,

he held my hand lest I fall. Who was thisperfect stranger whom I had embraced uponfirst sight?

He lives in the little house near the forkin the road where some crew members‘diverted’ to the left. He was minding hisown business when he heard the shouts wewere making. So, he grabbed his machete,and went to see what the matter was. It waswith that same machete that he cut a pieceof sugarcane when we reached his yard. Itwas to bring up my falling blood sugar levels.

As I chewed, I reflected on what it wouldhave been for me alone in the dark if Orvillehad not appeared in the pictures. It wouldstill be fine, I suppose, but Orville made itbetter the night when I scrambled downSambo Hill. Back in Charles Town, I learntthat people call him ‘Cricket’.

Buff Bay and its environs from SamboHill.

PHOTOS BY PAUL H. WILLIAMS

The crew that trekked up Sambo Hill in Portland on Friday, June 20.

Jahsen Levy (left), director of photography, and Roy T. Anderson, producer ofthe documentary, ‘Queen Nanny of the Maroons’, setting up their cameras tocapture footage of the Bybrook community in Portland.

CAMP HALF Moon is backand just in time for the longsummer holidays. Children

visiting Half Moon, the luxury resortlocated in Rose Hall, will have anaction-packed activity programmewhen they join Camp Half Moon.

Developed for children four to 12years, Camp Half Moon will beavailable Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. July 14 through August22. The five-day camp will includegolf, horseback riding, arts andcraft, tennis and watersports.

Participation in Camp Half Moonis US$55 per child daily, andincludes all activities, lunch andsnacks as well as tax and servicecharges.

For the first time, Half Moon willintroduce the Teen Summer Camp,July 21-31, Mondays-Fridays at theRoyal Pavilion from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.Participation in Teen SummerCamp is US$55 per teen per day.Registration must be by July 18,2014. Teens will enjoy such activi-ties as archery, environmental

awareness, recreational swimming,tae kwon do, and much more.

“We recognise that during thesummer holidays, parents are oftenchallenged with finding a vacationsolution the entire family will enjoy.Camp Half Moon and Teen SummerCamp were designed with them in

mind,” said Aram Zerunian, HalfMoon’s general manager.

“Parents can enjoy all of theamenities and activities offered atour 400-acre property, while theirchildren enjoy the excitement ofCamp Half Moon and TeenSummer Camp, under the attentiveeye of our internationally trainedand certified professional childcaregivers,” he added.

Half Moon is a 60-year-old, 400-acre legendary resort located onJamaica’s North Coast. The resort

features two miles of private,white-sand beach with 197 spacious rooms and suites.Additionally, the AAA Four-Diamond resort offers 31 expan-sive four-, five-, six- and seven-bedroom villas all with privatepools and personal staff of butler,cook and housekeeper. In additionto spacious accommodations, HalfMoon also offers guests a widevariety of amenities and activitiesincluding the multi-award winningFern Tree, The Spa at Half Moon, aRobert Trent Jones Senior-designed 18-hole golf course, HalfMoon Golf Academy, Spinningstudio, 13 lit tennis courts, eques-trian centre, fitness centre, 54swimming pools, a teen activitycentre, the colourful AnancyChildren’s Village, water sports,dolphin lagoon, and more.

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY THE GLEANER COMPANY LIMITED • 7 NORTH STREET • KINGSTON • JAMAICA

Camp Half Moon and TeenSummer Camp to come

TOP MALE STUDENT

Kings Primary School’s Top Male Grade SixAchievement Test (GSAT) performer, MaliekFeare (left) proudly accepts gift items courtesy of Sandals Whitehouse from public relations manager, Jervene Simpson. The occasion wasthe institution’s school-leaving ceremony held onJuly 4. Feare was awarded a place at the presti-gious Munro College in St Elizabeth and emergedat the top of his class in his recent internal schoolexams. Kings Primary is one of the many schoolsin the Caribbean that enjoys a rewarding partner-ship with the Sandals Foundation and SandalsResorts International, and recently received abrand new library and computer room, a schoolfacelift and stands to benefit from a SandalsFoundation’s Literacy intervention initiative in thenext school year.

TOP FEMALE STUDENT

Top Female GSAT performer at Kings Primary,Jodian Fowler, proudly collects her congratula-tory prize from Sandals Whitehouse’s publicrelations manager, Jervene Simpson during hergraduation ceremony recently. Fowler will beattending the highly revered Manning’s Schoolin September.

Peter Coville (centre), Sandals signature guest, is awardedwith a prize of a complimentary week’s stay at a Sandals ofhis choice from Sandals Montego general manager, CarlBeviere (right), and long-standing employee, Dalton Smith.

Sandals’ signature

guest

Sandals’ awards top GSAT performers

8 HOSPITALITY JAMAICA | 9WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2014

Southwest Airlinesbegins international

service to three countriesDALLAS:

THE EMPLOYEES of South-west Airlines on July 1launched an international

future for America’s largest domesticairline by inaugurating service tothree Caribbean destinations fromthree of its US gateway cities.

Southwest Airlines’ first interna-tional departure, Flight 1804, fromBaltimore/Washington to Oranjestad,Aruba, followed by Southwest Flight906 to Montego Bay, Jamaica, whereits first-ever scheduled internationalarrival was planned for just after 11a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. A middayflight from Baltimore/Washington toNassau/Paradise Island also broughtSouthwest Airlines’ legendary customer service to The Bahamas.

To commemorate the beginning ofa historic chapter for the carrier,Southwest Vacations is offering upto US$200 off select travel packages

booked now through July 14, 2014,for travel July 4, 2014, through January 4, 2015 (blackout datesapply, three day advance purchaseand minimum stay required. The bundled travel packages featuringcombinations of air, hotel, car, andactivities can be booked now atsouthwestvacations.com.

“Thousands of our employeeshave a hand in launching the flightswhich begin to bring our convenientand affordable way of air travel tothe world, and broaden the horizonfor more than 100 million customerswho fly with us every year,” saidTeresa Laraba, Southwest’s seniorvice-president of customers, duringa Caribbean-themed celebration andnews conference near the departuregates at Baltimore/WashingtonInternational Thurgood MarshallAirport.

“We’ve grown through four

decades of profitable service to carrymore domestic air travelers everyday than any other airline, and thisnext chapter plants a flag for BagsFly Free(r) and No Change Fees inforeign sand.”

Customers on the carrier’s inaugural international flights from Baltimore/Washington joined those intwo other gateway cities of Atlanta,and Orlando, who celebrated along-side employees with commemorativebeach balls, snorkels and masks.

At the company’s corporate head-quarters in Dallas, employees staffeda command centre in the pre-dawnhours to monitor operational performance and new technologysystems developed in partnershipwith Amadeus, a leading technologyprovider to the global travel indus-try. Its Altea suite of technologysolutions is powering Southwest’sreservations, inventory, and depar-

ture control functions for interna-tional flying.

“We are extremely pleased that ournext-generation technology hasenabled Southwest to achieve its goalof international flying. Amadeus iscommitted to delivering the solutionsand services that help our customersconnect, serve, and manage theevolving needs of the 21st Centurytraveller. We are very proud to be apartner of Southwest in achievingthis significant milestone today andlook forward to continuing to shapethe future of travel together,” saidJulia Sattel, senior vice-president,Airline IT, Amadeus.

Southwest Airlines previouslyannounced details to convert by theend of this year all internationalservice offered by wholly owned subsidiary AirTran Airways, including flights to Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

Deputy director of tourism, Sandra Scott (right), and regionalmanager of the Jamaica Tourist Board, Rosemarie Johnson.

Southwest Airline’s Dan Landson dons snorkeling gear aboard the aircraft en route from Baltimore Washington last week Tuesday(July1).

Chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board, Dennis Morrison (right),putting the finishing touches to his speech, while SouthwestAirline’s chief marketing officer, Kevin Krone, looks on during areception welcoming the airline’s inaugural flight to Jamaica lastweek Tuesday morning (July 1).

MBJ Airports Limited’s CEO Anthony Allicastro and the JamaicaHotel and Tourist Association’s (JHTA), new president, NicolaMadden Greig at a reception at the Sangster International forSouthwest Airlines on July 1.

PHOTOS BY JANET SILVERA

Passengers aboard the Southwest Airlines flight don their snorkeling gears inflight en route from Baltimore Washington DC toMontego Bay last week Tuesday.

From left: MBJ Airports Limited’s Elizabeth Scotton andSouthwest Airline’s Gad Wavomba and John Kirby at the recep-tion at the Sangster International Airport welcoming the firstSouthwest aircraft.

Southwest Airlines captain, Mark Schulz, accepts a gift fromMinister of Tourism and Entertainment, Dr Wykeham McNeill.

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