Should a holiday be any day?

Desmond Henry

TREASURE BEACH: I GOT caught with my holiday pants down. I could have sworn that by now we had standardised all our national holidays (except the religious ones) to be observed on Mondays, so that the country, its economy and its citizens could benefit from the resulting long weekends. Thus for example, Labour Day would be the third Monday in May; Independence Day the first Monday in August and so on. And so, if like me, you had planned last week's Labour Day for Monday, instead of Tuesday, you too would have been terribly inconvenienced by the midweek disjoint. Or do you think it really doesn't matter? Well, here are some of the advantages of having as many holidays as possible, on weekends.

In the first place, many people either as a group, family or individuals, plan an impending weekend holiday in a place other than their regular home. It's a chance to get away from routine. This means that commercial benefits begin to accrue to all those in the travel business - airlines, car rentals, buses, hotels, villas and overnight lodgings. Shops and markets increase their sales of groceries and supplies. Visiting friends and relatives arrange get-togethers, celebrations and anniversaries.

Visitor-attraction sites enjoy the benefits of larger numbers on long weekends, and rural fruits and vegetable stalls reap bumper pass-through customers. Gas station sales go up, as does GCT and other direct and indirect taxes to government. Individual psyches are improved, as workers are refreshed by the break; and last, but not least, incomplete community projects started on a Labour Day Saturday can now be completed on the Monday. Compare these to last week's midweek dislocation, and you will see that there are huge direct and indirect benefits to the overall economy from weekend holidays. I cannot understand, therefore, why we continue to do these things in such an obviously disadvantageous fashion.

Truth is, most holidays and memoriams can be whatever we deem them to be. The trick is to design a way that they best serve the original intent, as well as offering maximum participation to the maximum numbers. I just didn't believe a mid-week holidays does that. And so I'll pull my pants up, and revisit my calendar with a little more scrutiny next time.

That hillside sign

One of my most respected readers and allies, Dorothea Whitehorne of Ocho Rios, took me to task recently for suggesting that we consider utilising one of the country's topographic advantages by erecting a large "OCHO RIOS, Jamaica" locational sign on the scenic hillside above that north coast town. Among other things it would provide a unique destination salute to approaching cruise liners, and provide a ready situational site for endless fashion, promotional and publicity settings. Truth is, if in formulating the idea I had seen it in the manner in which Mrs. Whitehorne's letter assumed, I too would have been opposed to it. I could not have elaborated then because of space, but perhaps I should.

One of Jamaica's distinct advantages over many of its Caribbean competitors, is its large extent of usable hillside space. I say 'usable' because while some of the other countries have mountains, most of them are either too small or too inaccessible. Thus from a marketing standpoint, they cannot be used to advantage for impact purposes such as promotional or environmental ambiance. Jamaica fortunately is not like that, and its mountains enjoy the advantages of comparative size and access.

What I have in mind, therefore, was a large but highly tasteful sign, dominating and blending with the hillside above Ocho Rios. It would have all the environmental inputs of taste, lettering, colour, sustainability and complementality. It would be reached by three means: (1) a discreet from-behind access road (2) a spiral stairway, interspersed with lookout platforms from the main highway or (3) via long range telescopic photo and film cameras. At the base of the sign would be developed a classic historical gallery of Ocho Rios, replete with authentic historical and archaeological facts about the town, the community and its people. There would be rest-stops plus a tasteful restaurant serving natural health fruits and juices (no meats) by day and night. No vending would be allowed. The entire facility would be meticulously tasteful, controlled and environmentally friendly. If well managed and operated, I believe it would provide a unique focus of immense promotional and marketing possibilities.

If you think of it, this country by now should have been using cable cars as part of its topographic advantage to show off some of its natural beauty of hills, mountains and valleys. Just think of the spectacularity of a cable car ride into the Blue Mountains, or from the top of Lover's Leap down to a well-kept sea-park below.

In fact if well thought out, some of these same cable cars could be used for passenger transport into some mountain areas where buses now break their axles to navigate.

Artificial snow

In the long run, destination marketing is no more, or no less, than the creative talents at work in the minds of those in charge. I recall for example, when as Tourism Director I had a cost-benefit initiative done to see whether it was possible to manufacture enough artificial snow on the Blue Mountains to make Jamaica go for a portion of the ski market. I wanted to capture the markets for ski and sea. It turned out not to be viable.

The same was true for the possibility of para-sailing off the cliffs at Lover's Leap, then be picked up in the waters of the sea below and transported back by cable car, to base. That was more feasible than artificial snow.

And so, as I know how easy it is in this country to drift from classic envisioning into ugly practicality, may I suggest that a responsibly led team from Ocho Rios revisit the idea of the hillside sign seriously.

I would be happy to contribute. I feel sure Mrs. Whitehorne would be, also.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The new challenge is not so much to sell the tourist to Jamaica, but to sell the Jamaican to the tourist.

Desmond Henry is a marketing strategist based in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth.

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