Home  Monthly Issue Grenada’s Hotels Fight to Stay Alive
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Grenada’s Hotels Fight to Stay Alive |
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Friday, 08 May 2009 |
Grenada’s tourism industry is experiencing a crisis due to the much talked about ‘Global Economic Slump’, which threatens their ability to continue to be the island’s leading foreign exchange earner, and a major employer.
In an effort to stay alive, and to secure the jobs of their employees, the management and supervisors of most of the island’s hotels have agreed to take a pay cut, of between five and twenty five percent, and employees jobs are being rotated in order to ensure that as many as possible remain employed.
Careful analysis of occupancy rates for the next six months indicates a substantial downward trend compared with figures available for 2008, and revenue is expected to fall to an all time low, due to pressure to reduce rates in order to attract visitors.
Our close neighbour Tobago, along with other islands in the region, has experienced closure of hotels at an alarming rate, and unless something is done to arrest the trend, properties in Grenada will be forced to follow suit.
The Grenada Hotel & Tourism Association is working with the Government of Grenada to ease the plight of the industry, and expect that an announcement will be made within days, indicating the measures they are prepared to put in place to alleviate the situation.
As a matter of interest, some Governments in the region have agreed to a waive of GCT payments, and a roll back on import duties on consumables, and food for six months. Some Governments are offering cash incentives to arriving visitors, and are providing industry workers with a stipend for two days a week to attend training, in order to improve the standards of the workforce ensuring their country is better able to provide services to visitors when the global economy improves.
It is the hope of the GHTA that the Government of Grenada will agree to follow this plan of action as closely as possible.
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