Negril hotelier says Ebola outbreak unlikely to disrupt Jamaica tourism

A Jamaican tourism leader is downplaying fears that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo will hurt the island’s visitor industry, saying current safeguards and travel patterns make major disruption unlikely.

The health emergency in the DRC has prompted several countries to impose temporary limits on people arriving from, or passing through, Ebola-affected states. In Jamaica, authorities have strengthened monitoring at ports of entry, with travellers from affected countries required to quarantine when they arrive.

Tourism stakeholders say they are coordinating with the Government as officials keep watch on the outbreak. The sector is also operating while Jamaica remains on heightened alert for hantavirus.

One industry representative said the relevant agencies, including immigration, health and tourism authorities, are tracking the situation closely and would respond as required, as they did during COVID-19.

Concerns about possible effects on tourism have grown in recent weeks. At a recent media conference, Planning Institute of Jamaica Director General Dr Wayne Henry said the risks are being watched and that economic projections can shift as more information becomes available.

Henry said the tourism outlook could be revised if conditions worsen, and noted that prolonged tensions in the Middle East could also affect the sector. He said any negative impact on tourism could have wider consequences, including for employment.

But Richard Wallace, hotelier and chairman of the Negril Tourism Destination Council, said he does not expect the Ebola outbreak to significantly weaken Jamaica’s tourism performance. He said the outbreak is concentrated in Africa and Jamaica does not receive large numbers of visitors from that area, which should lower the chance of cases reaching the island.