‘Negril desperately needs help’
Stakeholders call for action in comprehensive document on underdeveloped town
Published:Sunday | August 29, 2021 | 12:06 AMMark Titus - Senior Gleaner Writer
The ambience. Memorable sunsets. Signature seven miles of white sand beach. An array of the world’s finest in hospitality. These have all made Negril a favourite for the casual and adventurous alike.
But while the rustic resort town on the west end of Jamaica – spanning the parishes of Westmoreland and Hanover – rakes in millions in revenue, it is being deprived of well-needed infrastructure to become a first-class attraction.
Gone are the days of the hippies shacking up with a local family for a price. Today’s tourists are able to choose from some of the biggest brands in the all-inclusive market or to experience the local culture with a stay at one of the many small hotels or guest houses on offer.
Over the years, none of the many development plans for Negril have been implemented, resulting in a myriad of unplanned expansions in the seaport village, while the growth in tourism appears more beneficial to the large foreign-owned resorts, even as the smaller players plead for a level playing field.
“Many of the setbacks Negril suffer from are results of how neglected we are by the powers that be,” a document prepared by a Negril stakeholders group, seen by The Gleaner, stated. “We appreciate that the country as a whole is faced with many challenges and so we do not wish to point a finger of blame but rather to remind those in power that Negril desperately needs their help.”
The document, ‘Negril 2030: Call to Action’, explores the issues affecting several proposed developments for the resort town over the years, including a fruit and vegetable market; the Negril Beach Park project; and the expansion of the Negril Health Centre.
Resolving the poor broadband internet connectivity and a water supply shortfall in the seaside village is a priority for the group, while the construction of a tertiary sewerage system to serve both residential and commercial properties is imperative.
Businessman Richard Wallace, president of the Negril Chamber of Commerce, would not discuss Negril’s challenges without the consensus of his membership, but as a private investor, he expressed confidence that the issues can be addressed in phases. He, however, hopes that the resurfacing of Norman Manley Boulevard, the removal of squatters from lands designated for the new town centre, as well as safety and security will be treated as priority.
“We need proper safety and security because there are a lot of nightmare stories about people being harassed on the beach; people can’t walk or take a swim in peace,” Wallace expressed to The Gleaner. “We have not taken tourism seriously in Jamaica.”
“We need to change laws, we need to enact laws that will protect our industry because there is no law on the books that defines what harassment is,” added Wallace, who is the owner of The Boardwalk Village Hotel and The Boardwalk Shopping Village, two major landmarks in Negril.
“We need to create a tourism industry because we buck up on tourism when people started coming here as hippies, pitching their tents in the front yard until someone saw the potential and offered their bedroom for a price.”
He continued, “We need to safeguard security and we need to put in laws. There is no law in the books that defines harassment. This is something that we can maximise on. We have one of the top 10 best beaches in the world and the majestic cliffs right here in Negril, and we can create a world-class resort town by putting in proper infrastructure like what Mexico and the Dominican Republic did – they created a tourism industry.”
NO FIRE STATION
Despite the large collection of hotels, Negril is also without a fire station and locals must travel miles to access government services. However, former hotelier Godfrey Dyer, chairman of the Tourism Enhancement Fund, believes the locals might be stumbling in each other’s way and stopping progress.
“The lack of progress in Negril is not political,” Dyer said in an interview on Wednesday. “Negril, in my opinion, has great potential, but people who own businesses and live in Negril need to learn to work together and cooperate when making decisions.”
“I am also disappointed at the appearance, when you look at the main street. Negril needs a lot of attention and in my opinion it cannot be too costly to make a destination look good, because efforts have been made on several occasions but are not carried through, because the cooperation is not there, but things are improving and I believe you will start seeing some improvement there.”
NEED A TOLL ROAD
Some locals are calling for the establishment of a cruise port to bring more visitors to the area, but Wallace believes the construction of a toll road from Montego Bay to Negril is a more realistic solution as it would shorten the distance of travel.
“It would be a quick drive, maybe 30 minutes – a far improvement from the nearly two hours it takes to get to Montego Bay presently,” he envisioned. “That’s where I see a more immediate solution by creating that highway from Negril to Montego Bay.”
However, when contacted, Moreland Wilson, member of parliament for western Westmoreland, would not provide details on projects planned for Negril, but revealed that the priority is to improve the aesthetics of the town, before addressing the other long-standing issues, as soon as the pandemic eases.