Byles honoured for pivotal role in protecting tourism during COVID pandemic

Western Bureau:

While acknowledging that his role as chairman of the island’s resilient corridors during the COVID-19 pandemic was most challenging and demanding, businessman John Byles, the deputy executive chairman of Chukka Caribbean Adventures, says he has no regrets about taking on the role.

Byles, a renowned face in business circles in Montego Bay, St James, was one of seven persons – five Jamaicans and two Canadians, who were recently honoured by the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) for enhancing Jamaica’s tourism resilience during what was described as “truly a difficult period”.

“I recall the early scepticism, especially when the corridors were created, where the movement of visitors was restricted to special designated areas to minimise the spreading of the virus,” said a reflective Byles.

The resilient corridors were established as a strategic response to the global health crisis, allowing controlled movement of visitors within designated areas to minimise the risk of virus transmission. This framework was essential for balancing the need to reopen the tourism sector while safeguarding the health and safety of both visitors and locals.

“Nothing could have happened without having a dedicated team and the willingness to engage and listen to stakeholders, especially the smaller tourism players who felt and suffered the most through what is still considered the worst pandemic known to man,” said Byles.

With some of the smaller players in the sector wary of the initiative, intimating that it was established to protect the larger players without due consideration to their plight, Byles said it took a lot of persuasion to get them on board.

“We had to keep frequent meetings, begging them to hold strain and not to carry out their threats for disruptions such as staging roadblocks. We persevered and created a template that everybody, including our regional competitors, could follow,” said Byles.

USING THE CHUKKA WAY

In fact, Byles said he had to draw on his Chukka Caribbean Adventures leadership experience, which is built around inclusivity and engagement, to make the engagement impactful.

“It was and has always been the Chukka way to engage the public, the communities, and our stakeholders, big and small. This approach has not only fostered collaboration but has also laid the groundwork for a better understanding of the tourism space in which we all operate,” he said.

Byles also praised the support from Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett and Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, which he said was instrumental to the corridors’ success.

“We must commend the visionary leadership ... . We must also commend the steady hand that was played by Prime Minister Andrew Holness in giving his full backing to the initiative,” said Byles, in reflecting on what he considers the swift and effective response to the crisis, which he said positioned Jamaica as a leader in tourism recovery.

“Jamaica was among the first countries not just to reopen our borders but to get it right so both our visitors and locals were safe,” said Byles, who was full of praise for the establishment of GTRCMC, which is designed to enhance the resilience of tourism sectors worldwide, providing guidance and support for communities to better prepare for future crises.

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