SAN JUAN - Ngemuva kokubhaxabulwa ngonyaka odlule, imboni yezokuvakasha yaseCaribbean ibheke ekuthuthukeni ngo-2010 naphezu kokukhathazeka ngentela yemvelo ebekwe yiBrithani kanye nobugebengu obubhekiswe kubavakashi kwezinye iziqhingi.
I-Haiti ehlaselwe ukuzamazama komhlaba akubanga indawo enkulu yezivakashi, ngaphandle kwendawo yase-Royal Caribbean yangasese yolwandle i-Labadee ogwini olusenyakatho, esindiswe emonakalweni.
Kepha ezinye iziqhingi zaseCaribbean zincike kakhulu kwezokuvakasha ukuze zithole imali engenayo nemisebenzi, futhi kubikwe ukwehla ngonyaka odlule njengoba ubunzima bomnotho emhlabeni wonke kanye nokushoda kwezikweletu kugcine abantu baseYurophu nabaseNyakatho Melika besekhaya.
Ungqongqoshe wezokuvakasha esiqhingini esisempumalanga yeCaribbean eSt.
"Mhlawumbe sizowuvala unyaka phansi ngamaphesenti angu-5.6 kodwa sibheke ukubuya ngamandla ngo-2010," kusho uChastanet ngesikhathi seCaribbean Marketplace, umcimbi waminyaka yonke osingathwa yi-Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association ohlanganisa ndawonye abanikazi bamahhotela nabaphakeli.
I-St. Lucia ithole izivakashi ezingu-360,000 zokuhlala - lezo ezichitha imali emakamelweni amahhotela nasezindaweni zokudlela - futhi zabona ukwanda ngamaphesenti angu-15 kwabafika ngomkhumbi.
I-Tobago, isiqhingi esincane esingudadewabo sase-Trinidad, ihlangabezane nokwehla okukhulu kwabavakashi abavela ezimakethe zabo ezinkulu zase-UK kanye nabasuka eJalimane.
“Isimo somnotho emhlabeni jikelele sibe nomthelela omubi eTobago. Amahhotela abike ukuthi lehle ngamaphesenti angu-40 ekuhlaleni, ikakhulukazi ezimakethe zaseBrithani naseJalimane,” kusho umnikazi wamahhotela uRene Seepersadsingh.
Nakuba iziqhingi eziningi zibika ngo-2009 ompofu kwezokuvakasha, i-Jamaica ibone ukwanda ngamaphesenti angu-4 kwabafikayo.
“Bekuwunyaka omuhle kithina naphezu kwakho konke okwenzeka emhlabeni jikelele,” kusho uNgqongqoshe Wezokuvakasha u-Ed Bartlett.
IZIHLALO EZININGI
I-Jamaica ibilokhu yenza izikhangiso zikamabonakude kulo lonke elaseNyakatho Melika phakathi nobusika obubanda ngendlela engavamile ukuze iyengele ababukeli esimweni sayo sezulu esifudumele, futhi inethemba lonyaka wayo omuhle kakhulu.
"Kulesi sikhathi sasebusika esiqalayo manje, sinezihlalo eziyirekhodi eziyisigidi (zendiza) okuyisibalo esikhulu kunazo zonke esake saba naso," kusho uBartlett etshela abeReuters.
Nakuba izikhulu zezokuvakasha zinethemba ngentuthuko embonini kulo nyaka, zikhathazekile ngomthelela wentela yemvelo uhulumeni wase-UK awubekela abahambi ngendiza.
Lapho ukukhuphuka kwezinga kuqala ukusebenza ngoNovemba, ithikithi lezinga lezomnotho elisuka esikhumulweni sezindiza sase-UK liya e-Caribbean lizophatha intela yopondo ongu-75 ($122) kuyilapho intela yethikithi lekilasi lokuqala inguphawundi ongu-150 ($244).
“Kuyintela engenabulungiswa, engadingekile futhi engenabulungiswa,” kusho uJohn Taker, umqondisi wokuthenga e-Virgin Holidays.
Iziqhingi eziningi zibhekene nenselelo eyengeziwe yokukholisa abangaba abahambi ngokuphepha kwabo kulandela ubugebengu obuningi obubhekiswe kubavakashi.
Izigebengu ezihlomile e-Bahamas ziqondise izivakashi zemikhumbi ehamba ngomkhumbi, kuyilapho izeluleko zohambo zikhishiwe e-Trinidad nase-Tobago ngenxa yokuhlukunyezwa ngokocansi nokubulawa kwezivakashi kanye nezakhamuzi zakwamanye amazwe.
Nakuba izakhamuzi zendawo zivame ukuqondiswa kakhulu kunezivakashi, isifunda sinenkinga yamazinga aphezulu okubulala.
IBermuda yayinezigameko zokubulala eziyisithupha ngo-2009 kanti oyedwa kakade kulo nyaka. Okungenani ezintathu zokubulala zihlobene namaqembu ezigelekeqe.
Umphathi wamahhotela uMichael Winfield, usihlalo weBermuda Alliance for Tourism, uthe ukubulawa kwabantu kanye nomphumela walokho okushiwo ngamazwe kusongela isithunzi sesiqhingi.
“Enye yezindawo zokuthengisa eziqine kakhulu eBermuda, ngokwesiko, kube ukuphepha kwayo nobungane futhi ukuze lelo pulangwe eliyinhloko lephrofayela yethu lisongelwe manje kuyethusa; lokhu ngesikhathi lapho ukuqagela sekuvele kubi kakhulu,” kusho uWinfield eBermuda.
U-Seeparsadsingh uthe uTobago ukhulise ukuba khona kwamaphoyisa, kanti izinga lokutholwa kobugebengu liyenyuka.
IJamaica, echazwa njengelinye lamazwe anobudlova kakhulu eNtshonalanga Nenkabazwe, isaqhubeka nokuheha izivakashi naphezu kwezinga layo elimangalisayo lokubulala. Lesi siqhingi sabulala abantu abangu-1,680 ngonyaka odlule, okuyirekhodi labantu abayizigidi ezingu-2.7.
“Kuyaphikisana. Indawo ekhanga kakhulu e-Jamaica ngabantu. Kuyaphikisana nezibalo zobugebengu,” kusho uBartlett.
