Water crisis could lead to loss of jobs, earnings in Negril

WESTERN BUREAU:

Richard Wallace, immediate past president of the Negril Chamber of Commerce and Industry, says a significant portion of members of the Nehgril workforce – tourism and otherwise – could lose their jobs if the water crisis in that area is not rectified by close to the end of 2025.

Using 10 per cent as a ballpark figure, Wallace said a similar percentage of tourism earnings could be lost as well. He was speaking at a press conference held at Swept Away Hotel in Negril, the tourist district that spans Hanover and Westmoreland.

“If we lose 10 per cent of our business over next year, 10 per cent of US$1 billion is US$100 million that we would lose just by using 10 per cent (as a figure), if it’s that small,” Wallace said.

He was responding to a query about the likely percentage loss of earnings in the hotel sector that could result from the water crisis.

In a Gleaner interview following the press conference, Wallace noted that a sizeable portion of the entire Negril workforce is also likely to be left without an income, should the water crisis continue deep into 2025.

“If less people are coming to Negril because of the view that there is no water or the product is not as it should be because of the lack of water, then what it will mean is that the hotel will need less employees to manage their hotels and that will therefore result in lay-offs,” Wallace told The Gleaner.

“This will not just be direct hotel employees, it will have an effect on small businesses which also employ people. It will also result in a downturn of revenues for these smaller businesses, which will in turn affect their business and their ability to renovate,” stated Wallace, who is also the managing director for Boardwalk Village.

“Nobody knows that yet, we are just speculating. I used the example of 10 per cent. And, already, some hoteliers are reporting that guests who would normally rebook their stay have not. So, we are yet to see the real impact on tourism in Negril until next year when it materialises,” the hotelier added.

Wallace further informed that the current drought is depleting funds that were set aside for workers’ benefits and beautification works.

Westmoreland accounts for 84 per cent of the workers employed in the sector while Hanover accounts for the other 16 per cent.

The Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) recently conducted a survey which looked at the impact of the water crisis on tourism workers, the vast majority of employees in the region. As much as 58 per cent of the respondents shared that they work in the accommodation sector in Negril, while five per cent are employed in transportation, two per cent in shopping and craft, 22 per cent in restaurants and bars, two per cent in watersports, and those who work in other sectors within the resort area stand at 11 per cent.

The survey also revealed that 85 per cent of the 12,000-strong workers in Negril are severely impacted by the months-long water crisis.

Can’t afford Water

Karen Lanigan, Negril Area Chapter chair of the JHTA, said, even with private operators selling water on a daily basis in communities, the vast majority of tourism workers can’t afford to purchase the precious commodity.

“Can you afford to buy water? Fifteen per cent of those who responded said ‘yes’, 85 per cent said ‘no’,” Lanigan told journalists during the press conference.

“Fifty-eight per cent have said it (drought) affected their work ‘very often’; 18 per cent said ‘often’; 22 per cent said ‘sometimes’, and four per cent said ‘never’,” she noted of the question, ‘Has the water crisis affected your ability to do your work and how often has it affected you?’

The study was conducted between April 25 and 27, and included 561 tourism industry workers.

Respondents were also asked, “For what time period are you without water from the National Water Commission? Thirty-eight per cent said they have been without potable water for several weeks, and three per cent said, for less than six hours per day.

“Ten per cent said ‘between six and 12 hours daily’, 11 per cent said ‘between 12 and 24 hours’, six per cent said ‘one to two days’, 13 per cent said they don’t have water for three to four days at a time, and there is also 20 per cent that said it has been months since they have had water,” shared Lanigan, who is also general manager at Couples Swept Away Hotel.

Negril, as a destination, earns between US$1 billion and US$1.2 billion annually.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com