Letter of the Day | Boost tourism by showcasing Jamaica’s heritage
Published:Monday | November 25, 2024 | 12:06 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
In support of boosting tourism, Jamaica must offer and make accessible its rich international history and heritage to attract the interest of our visitors and ensure the accuracy and narrative of our story.
On a recent trip overseas, I observed tourists spending hundreds of thousands of dollars daily in small coastal towns and cities in the Mediterranean. This reminded me of the hidden and almost forgotten places in Jamaica that are quickly disappearing from our collective memory.
Spanish Town, our first capital city, rivals many world heritage sites in Spain, France, and Italy. Jamaica has numerous gems that have been abandoned. We possess the infrastructure and history that tell the story of our country, but these require commitment and investment to make them safe and profitable for visitors. This can be achieved through secure shore excursions that allow access to the accurate history and stories of our people, places, food, and culture, managed effectively to minimise disruption to daily living for residents and businesses.
The rich histories of Spanish Town, Kingston, St Thomas, and the entire southern parishes, now more accessible via highways and toll roads, all have potential for curious and adventurous visitors. These visitors would love to experience our country’s rich history and our journey as a people.
The tourism ministry must work to properly restore these landmarks to make them safe for walking and accessible for wheelchair. Jamaica has the trained and qualified workforce, from labour to professional architects and engineers, who have a proven body of work and are a resource for our up-and-coming professionals and craftsmen.
The major cruise ports and surrounding cities have a natural advantage and can be developed with the support of JUTA and other established transportation partners to showcase the scenic and unique culinary experiences, history, music, culture, and industries. This offers interested visitors more than just beaches and parties, providing a competitive fiscal opportunity for the country, and creating employment opportunities for our tour operators, bus and taxi drivers, vendors, and others. It can also serve as a source of revenue for recruiting and training our national police trainees in transportation, service, and security industries.
All this from a few hours ashore, giving cruise lines the assurance of timed arrival and departure, safety of their passengers, who will become our shared clientèle and spokespersons, and who will return for even more.
PATRICK BROWN
Pembroke Pines, Florida