Negril needs your opinion...

[Packrat]

Change & Growth are inevitable and anyone not willing to adopt that philosophy will be left behind, but let's not confuse the issue. There is a difference between reckless growth and sustainable leadership. Negril needs and deserves the later. Never under estimate the Law of Diminishing Returns. There is only so much room on the Negril's narrow Beaches (& roads) for people to enjoy, along with sewer & water capabilities and electrical grid restrictions. Loading it up with substantially more people from mega resorts will actually reduce the enjoyment of the masses and in turn reduce their chances of returning &/or giving positive recommendations of the area. Encroaching the high water mark of less than 150 feet is just plain irresponsible. Not enforcing current Development Orders just goes to show how little respect investors really have for the long term benefits of Negril. Like many, we have chosen Negril as our destination of choice for the environment, charms and services it has to offer. Most of those charms have remained over the years and many services have gotten much better but there is a tipping point (diminished returns).

When one speaks of the Jamaican-owned hotel operators competing with the large corporations, I'm sorry, but history speaks differently. Here in the US, WallyMart itself is responsible for the massive loss of locally owned business's in almost every community they have built in. Just look at Negril itself, What percentage of AI guests spend money in the local community? Yes, many find their way on a Property owned bus to Rick's, but how many have made it to the Red Dragon? LTU? or had dinner standing by a Jerk Barrel? How many of those guests supported a local taxi driver to take them to Cosmos, Roots Bamboo or the Canoe Bar? How many support the local shops offering, soda, juice, beer and snacks? as a gambling man, I would say the percentage is VERY LOW & the meager wages made by the hotel workers can't replace the travelers spending. The more Mega hotels there are in Negril, the greater the loss of charm that drive so many of us to the community, the more of us who choose a different destination (Jamaica or not), the less cash is spread to the individual businesses in the community, pure and simple economics. It is not the number of people who arrive at a destination that make it function, it is the amount dollars spent IN the economy that drive it. I will only use myself as an example. When in Negril, I stay at a locally owned home for $2450 a week, there is a full time staff of 3 whom I tip a total of $300 upon departure. We buy the vast majority of our food and drink at local stores, I rent either a scooter or car for the week in Negril, not the airport. We eat out a minimum of once per day and see shows and drink at local establishments almost daily. On our trips to Negril, we put roughly $5000 a week directly into the local economy, how much does a $5000 a week stay at Sandals, Couples, Swept Away put into the pockets of the Negril residents?

Negril must grow and evolve, but it should not do it at the expense of losing many of its faithful, the hierarchy must find a common ground to support the faithful and at the same time, find ways to create sustainable growth. If we go away, they will remember our names because there will not be our type of traveler to replace us, only the Mega Tourists they never see, meet or engage in commerce. I'll get off my soapbox now