Visitor flow to Culture Yard dries up

Culture Yard in Trench Town, St Andrew, which for many years has served as a stream of income for many residents, is hanging on by a string as a result of the ravages of COVID-19.

"The river dry up, is like the COVID dry up the thing. You know when the river a run and it get dry? A dat a gwan a Culture Yard right now," Osawald 'Stone Man' Comrie, a caretaker at the property, told THE STAR. "People still 'fraid to come out and socialise because of the COVID. It is like the tourist them cautious."

Culture Yard, which is inextricably linked to reggae legend Bob Marley, depends heavily on tourism dollars for survival. However, visitor arrivals have been extremely low nationally, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the heritage site has not been immune.

Stone Man told THE STAR that not one international visitor turned up at Culture Yard last Saturday in observation of Bob Marley's 76th birthday.

"There was no visitor for that day, and the years before all type of tourist full the yard because people from all over know that it is Bob Marley day, and them come and show support," he said.

"Right now is the first I see things like this. Is about 10 tourists we get since COVID. Me can count it pon me fingers," Stone Man said.

Javan, a carver at Culture Yard for 15 years, told THE STAR that he barely gets any sales.

Since COVID

"Me make chalice and sell and do other carvings, but nothing nah gwan, me just a hold it but nothing great not going on since COVID," he said.

As for Sophia Dowe, owner of a hostel in August Town from which she operates an Airbnb for the Culture Yard guests, she has only received three tourists at her place since COVID.

"The Airbnb was my main source of income but I'm not getting anybody so I'm thinking to turn it into a motel, because me have bills to pay and grandchildren to take care of," said Dowe.

"Right now, I'm baking and designing cakes so it can help me out a little bit. I could bake from long time but I start take it more serious now," she added.

A 2021 Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association survey has shown that 47 per cent of the island's hotels have remained closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hotels closed their doors last March when the country's borders were shut tight. Visitor arrivals went from 4.3 million in 2020 to just about 1.2 million last year. People like Dowe are looking for a light at the end of the tunnel.

"Maybe when the COVID stop completely we will start getting people again, but for now, we not getting anybody. It is not easy for any of us down here, nothing nah gwan," Dowe said.