Jamaican tourism

[Assasin]

Historian I am glad you state that Cuba doesn't mean the death of the Jamaican tourism. Both Jamaican tourism and Cuba can feed off each other especially for European tourists. With the all inclusive people can island hop and experience the diversity.

Jamaican tourism has some inovator, some stalwart like Heinz Simonitch, Mr. Levy who use to own Trident Castle, the bredda at round hill, The Stewarts, the Issa, Frank Rance and others who have changed with the time and has produced.

We badly need to train more people to take advantage of the tourism. I am convince that while more people want to stay at all inclusive they also want to go out and enjoy themselves and also we need to provide food and other essentials for the tourist. Of interest I read recently where only 9% of the food use in hotel in the caribbean is produced in the caribbean. That is one market that is needed to target. Historian while Salsa is big I don't know if it more popular than reggae because reggae is big in all continent and we still produce big hits to different generation. Now the hispanic also a do reggae and a call it Reggaeton and it was the most popular form of hispanic music in the states a few years ago.

Jamaican tourism is bright if we can provide the leadership, warmth and environment that will welcome more people and plan instead of eating a food.

[Jawge]

Keep dreaming. Ja is a slavery society. Be prepared top lose market share.
Crime will not abate; the populace are viewed as idiots to be pushed around. The only hope the populace has; is to broaden the treaty with the USA. Hey we don't care if the elite cry and wail. Look what thy do to us we have no say in Ja's torism although it's the general populace that created the brand. They give away our brand and culture for free to make friends. The populace live a life of servitude with menial jobs. The revolution of 1972 died because of Joshua's mistake, now we are the only nation sits uneducated waiting for the info age.

Time to hit back Ja people: broaden the treaty, you have nothing to lose.

[Assasin]

What treaty? What did we gain from the Caribbean Basin Initiative?

give it to me in data, not in codes.

[Historian]

Love Your Post!!

Assasin: I must commend you, and sincerely so, for consistently recognizing and promoting on this forum the positives behind tourism in Jamaica . I can assure you that we both are one as far as recognizing the importance to Jamaica and the Caribbean of this very important and ever-growing global industry.

I also agree fully with you on the importance of the work of people like Abe Issa, John Issa, Butch Stewart, Heinz Simonitch, John Pringle, and the many others who have worked hard in making Jamaica today one of the leading destinations in the Caribbean.

While there are some on this message board who in an unbelievably short-sighted manner continuously vilify and condemn Jamaica’s middle class, the fact is that without a solid, productive middle class, a country is hardly likely to prosper! What we need in Jamaica is to have an ever growing middle class that can provide the educational, entrepreneurial, etc. leadership! That is, a LARGER middle class of Jamaicans!!

Now to comment on the specifics of your post above. First, I agree that both Jamaica and our nearest neighbor Cuba can “feed off each other” and that people can “island hop and feed off the diversity.” This is an excellent point you’ve made, ‘Sass! In fact, this island hopping experience is probably the major advantage that that huge archipelago, the Bahamas, has over every other Caribbean destination. A look at current Bahamas tourism ads will reveal that visitors to that country are being encouraged to “island hop” from one Bahamian island to another and so enjoy the different experiences of each island!

Secondly, there’s no question that Jamaican and Caribbean farmers can benefit more – much more—from tourism! In terms of utilizing locally produced foods and materials, Jamaica definitely leads the way at this time as we have placed more emphasis on our local farmers and manufacturers than any other Caribbean country that I’m aware of (I cannot speak for Cuba on this matter). In fact, I’ve seen leading Caribbean farmers use the Jamaican approach, during media interviews, as the model to follow!

Jamaica, by the way, starts with distinct advantages over Cuba! For example, Jamaica has a much more highly trained tourism staff than Cuba does. Sophisticated training of staff is not something that is emphasized in the rigid, non-competitive environment within which Cuba’s tourism operates (why should the government compete against itself? LOL).

Regarding salsa, I never said that it was bigger than reggae. Jamaican reggae has been mass marketed on a massive scale while the Cuban music industry, thanks to the nature of communism, is not encouraged on the same level. Nevertheless, we have to recognize that when Hollywood makes its major serious movies, salsa stands an infinitely greater chance of being selected as the genre in, for example, movie dance competitions are displayed or in formal settings which involve dance. This guarantees continued worldwide exposure to this outstanding Cuban genre.

Reggae dance scenes, on the other hand, continue to be limited to low budget movies and underground flicks. In the specific case of soundtracks, Ini Kamoze’s “Here Comes the Hotstepper” is the major exception to the rule.

Long live Jamaican tourism, and may it bring much, much greater benefits to the Jamaican population as a whole!!

[Assasin]

thanks for that clarification on Salsa. You are perfectly correct. For every one movie that use reggae there are 10 or more that uses Salsa.

My major concern other than crime is the lack of training and regard that the higlers, the taxi drivers and hustlers have. As you know Cuba is more organise and the tourist can't be harrassed as in Jamaica. The other thing is the cleaning up of our enviroment especially around the tourist area. It is sad when hotel guest can donate their time to help clean up and the hotel managers and people who live and benefit from tourism can't spare a minute.

Simonitch taught me one thing. He will pick up every piece of paper or garbage he sees on his property. He said he expected that of everybody who works there because if the place is littered they will have no jobs.

I fail to see how tourism is tourism employment is getting bigger and bigger and it is not taught in schools, only at colleges and other trade schools when there is not enough space to accomodate the students.

Also Cayman do the island hopping thing as they have 3 islands. Now is a critical point in our tourism history. We are either going to end up with some big concrete city or put in some serious work and up bursting at the seem. It is also critical that these hotels not try to raise back the prices they had but tho keep it low and improve productivity that more people will choose. People who are considering Cancun and DR Republic shouldn't have to think Jamaica too expensive as they did before the recession.

[Muadib]

You mean the mistake of 1972...

I like how yuh spin it doh..

lol !

[Historian]

Jamaicans Do Not Appreciate Tourism!

Again, I enjoy discussing this very important topic of tourism with you, ‘Sass !

The lack of “Tourism” as a part of the curricula of ALL Jamaican high schools is, in my honest opinion, a reflection of the unawareness of the importance of this mammoth industry in the eyes of the Jamaica government and the general population who reside outside of the tourist areas! But then again, should I be surprised in the context of a nation where so many individuals would prefer the official inclusion of patois (with its extremely limited international reach) in education as opposed to a second language such as Spanish?

Make no mistake about it, very few members of this Reggae Boyz Forum fully understand the central role of tourism (one of the planet’s fastest growing industries) in the development of Caribbean economies!! But this is not particularly surprising when one considers that as late as the 1980s an unbelievably simplistic member of Jamaica’s parliament got up in the House and passionately linked “service” with “servitude”!!

[Muadib]

Wi nuh wait pon nuhbaddy.. unnuh waan tun us back innah slave !

[Historian]

Please Read!

Response to the wrong post! (That is, the reply I originally typed here was a response to a post unrelated to the above comment by Maudib; to be specific, a separate thread!)
LOL!! (Talking about Historian feeling really foolish right now!) )

[Assasin]

him a play devil's advocate.

[Muadib]

mi ah give yuh some reality..