Our island economy is going through a sea change, reliance upon seasonal tourism, even though the season stretches from March through November, is no longer proving an adequate source of income for owners. These last two years, particularly on account of the enforced closures and redesign of allowable patrons, have been particularly bleak.
The usual ancillary arguments have raised their heads, the lack of island cheap housing, no apologies for not using the politically correct term of affordable. Low basic hourly rates for workers. The reliance of service workers upon gratuities to bulk their income. An apparent lack of new blood willing to fill the naturally occurring spaces withing the workforce. I will add one further addition. An unwillingness of management, let us be kind and say through fatigue, to extend their own laboring to facilitate adequate opening hours, thereby ensuring sufficient profitability to keep fully operational.
I have no brilliant comeback, but to remind that having a community’s commercial eggs all in one basket do risk eventual loss.
