- Contributed
Meet the People participants enjoy drinks at a cocktail party with current MoBay Meet the People co-ordinator, Hyacinth Forde, right.
Monique Hepburn, Staff Reporter
WESTERN BUREAU :
IT HAS been over 37 years but the Jamaica Tourist Board's (JTB) Meet the People programme is still going strong as ordinary Jamaicans continue to entertain visitors to the island in their homes.
"People are in the programme because of the natural friendliness of Jamaicans, they like to show the people another aspect of Jamaican life," said Hyacinth Forde, the JTB's Meet the People co-ordinator for Montego Bay. "Visitors who participate in the programme always say that it's the best part of their vacation."
The Meet the People Pro-gramme has enjoyed long-standing success as a key element in creating a bond between locals and visitors to the island. Tourists often request to meet Jamaicans with whom they share mutual interest in areas such as business, sports, religion and professions.
In Montego Bay, there are over 200 families, who regularly volunteer their time and efforts to entertain visitors who wish to see aspects of the everyday lives of ordinary Jamaicans.
"It's such a wide range of interest that people show. Some people just want to meet a family outside of a hotel," continued Mrs. Forde. "Thousands of families have participated in the programme since 1967. Hoteliers in the resort areas have been very supportive of the programme as they realise the tremendous benefits the programme brings to the industry."
Many families attest to the rewards the programme offers and the opportunities for social exchange.
Cecil and Roselyn Morrison of Montego Bay are no different. Both are now in their 80s and continue to volunteer to entertain visitors which they have been doing since the inception of the programme.
REWARDING
"It has been most rewarding for us. We have had so many friends through this programme and we still carry on," said Cecil Morrison, a retired civil servant. "We have visited friends we have met in the programme. We have had lasting friendships. We have met a lot of people and we have a book in which we keep our records. We have entertained so many people, we find it impossible to keep track of all of them. We have made friends and we love taking them around.
"It was even last Tuesday that we had visitors from England. They have been visiting us for many years. It's a marvellous means of cultural exchange."
Mrs. Forde recalls a visit from the highly-acclaimed actress Jane Seymour, who participated in the programme several years ago. "Ms. Seymour and her children were being entertained several years ago at the home of Mr. Winston Dear, who is now the president of the MoBay Chamber of Commerce. Her son refused to leave when it was time to go. When Ms. Seymour went to her vehicle her son had disappeared. We couldn't find him anywhere. He was found hiding upstairs in the Dears' house. He simply did not want to leave."
Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Negril have the most Meet the People visitors and volunteers. Kingston is largely for business travellers and as a result does not have as many participants.
The JTB undertakes the advertising responsibilities of the programme which, according to Mrs. Forde, is underscored by the excellent reviews which she receives from participants who have written to express their delight in sharing with Jamaicans.
"The present economic difficulties sometimes hinder the abilities of more families joining the programme but overall we are enjoying tremendous support. We are encouraging a meeting of the minds. Sometimes people just want to be taken to church and not just party as it was in the 1970s," Mrs. Forde commented.
