US$2b cruise passengers spend, but Jamaica gets little

[Islandman]

Ok, sure. I assumed Bricktop was referring to some form of entertainment-based attractions. We have more than our fair share of those, certainly more than Cayman and I have spent quite a bit of time there in he last few years.

In my view our problem is not shortage of attractions. It is that our other negatives far outweigh the good things we have to offer. More attractions will not fix that.

[Assasin]

thank you sah. People will diplomatically blame attraction but that is because they don't even take the timeout to go and see it because of the other negitives.

You know how many people tell me they just jump in a taxi etc. in the bahamas and gone bout their business for the day?

[Islandman]

Now the overpricing I agree with you on that. I went to that mystic mountain place last time I was in Ochi, not only expensive ebtry fee but them only allow you to do the rides one time. Didn't mek no sense to me especially since the bobsled rides empty most of the time

[Assasin]

yep we do. It is all about selling them Brickie. Mi go a some place and see "attractions, mi have to laugh.

A theme Park is different Brickie in my view. It is a whole day thing including night, it goes mostly until 10 PM and have a lot of attractions, not just one. Plus kids price are normally a little cheaper. How long can you go and swim with Dolphins and Sting Ray for???

for me 3 hours at most.

[Willi]

We SUCK at marketing.

[Jangle]

I t is really a simple solution. Visitors need to feel safe when they dock in a foreign country. Get rid of the harassment which is the scourge of tourism. I've been to Bahamas, Cayman and Mexico and have never experienced the harassment that I got in Ochi. The cab fares and the aggressiveness of everybody in Ochi was an absolute turnoff....even when they heard my jamaican accent. There is absolutely nothing to really see in Bahamas and Cayman that is not in abundance in Jamaica. Mexico has a little more diversity but not necessarily for cruise passengers who only have a few hours on land. Jamaica is very expensive, even with a strong US$.

[Reggaedoc]

Skydiving is special to people from a developed country like the USA, whwre most of our tourists are from?. Beach is the only attraction in Portland?

[Bricktop]

You tell me...what are the attractions in Portland? Beach, waterfall, river, trees...Costa Rica does all of that and they do it better

[Assasin]

Costa Rica can't sell the "best coffee in the world tour". Costa Rica can't sell "Bob Marley tour" "Can't sell Usain Bolt" tour. These things just need some fix up. These are things people travel far and wide for and it nuh involve nuh beach.
Appleton Rum estate, Not to mention stuff like Rasta Village, Charles Town Maroon Village etc. that actually get the interst of tourist.

We simply not selling what we have and not trying to make them better. Some people travel on ship but want to go and mingle with the local population or just walk around.

[Reggaedoc]

Something wrong with waterfalls, rivers and trees?. Bredren it is how the producvt is sold, and what added attractions are available at the sites. You have river inna Venice, waterfall in Rome, Boston Jerk Pork in Munich, bamboo river rafting in Amsterdam?. You have to sell what you have, by making it wholesome, enjoyable, and secure. Sell what your country is well known for. things at which you are competitive. We can compete with the skydiving offered in Europe or N.A.?.

[Assasin]

Part of our problem. WE don't sell the best products we have, trying to sell what somebody else have.

[Bricktop]

Dolphin Cove is probably the most lucrative tourist attraction we have...it didn't just appear naturally out of thin air...we need attractions that take $2 million + US to start...until then we just ramping...cruise ships can only reach certain part of the country and are only in port for a couple of hours...that is why Carnival built Mystic Mountain where they built it...

[Reggaedoc]

That is why you need to fix the roads first. Man can build better attraction than nature has taken several thousand years to build?.

[Reggaedoc]

Man can enhance the beauty and make it accessable. A good example is the Cave attraction in Barbados. Should be one of the wonders of the world. Nature provided the cave, and man provided the lighting, the trolley etc so that people can enjoy the natural beauty of the place.

[Bricktop]

In general i agree...but not for cruise ship visitors...the time factor is against attractions that are not in close proximity to the pier...and then you will have man like Jawge & big head Mosiah bawling that the locals can't enjoy their own island because dem charge to go in