Tourism?

You know I love my country! Not sure if I should specify here but that country would be Jamaica. It really is beautiful. I especially love when people come to visit so I can show it off as well. The thing is though I always can't help saying that it is better if they visit me personally (well my parents anyway who over the years can now seriously contest your typical travel agents or tour guides and they now need to buy their own clipboards and dress in uniform when people come to visit!) rather than stay in a hotel where they usually get stuck for the whole of their visit so they never really 'see' all of Jamaica's beauty. Beauty not just in the nature but in the history and culture of our island. Actually each time family or friends do come to visit I learn of new and little (well sometimes huge) things of what there is to do and see on my small island. Some of the highlights include a rather interesting (or what my mother might describe as treacherous) drive to Cinchona....

Treasure beach.........

 Black River Safari..........

Appleton Rum Tour

The thing is though that the tour of Jamaica usually involves having to visit or stay for a short time at these hotels to see some of these beauty spots. Even when people on facebook take these beautiful pictures to show of our beautiful country it usually means they were paying a hefty price to stay at one of these hotels. They cut up the beaches so that only their guests have access to the spot and the locals are denied. I'm not going to deny that there are probably a lot of tourists appreciate that but I personally think its a shame. Especially when sometimes it appears to be destroying our island rather than enhancing or developing it's beauty so that everyone can appreciate it.....



My country is beautiful and of course I have nothing against tourism as a way to promote this beauty so that everyone can enjoy it but it seems that the locals in Jamaica are losing out and for me even the tourists themselves. It kind of seems to me that the way Jamaica is 'doing' tourism is the wrong way.