I love Spanish culture, but ...

The Editor, Sir:

I have noticed an atrocity committed by governments, past and present, and that has been the giving away of Jamaica's most authentic product - its tourism.

They have been selling our north coast to foreign investors, and we are doomed to one day not having the right to call these areas ours. These investors have come, and yes, they have built architectural showpieces, but they are also robbing our country of what the world loves us for, an authentic Jamaican culture.

I have been privileged to visit many of our hotels and tourist attractions, and I decided to explore two of the foreign-owned hotels to make the assessment for myself. With their foreign influences, our culture is fast changing and so is our hospitality. Many of these new foreign-owned hotels aren't even playing Jamaican music in their gift shops and lobbies. Their front desk and management staff are foreigners. Most of the nightly entertainment at these resorts is saturated with the Hispanic flavour and these changes introduce a very different face and character that is not at all Jamaican.

Want a jamaican jamaica

I love the Spanish-influenced culture, but that is not what I and many others visiting the island are looking for. They want the real thing! They want a Jamaican Jamaica. I met a few tourists both local and foreign, repeat visitors and first-timers who were dissatisfied that they had come to Jamaica and had not really experienced what they expected. What we have at this moment is a Hispanic/Spanish product that pretends to give something it can never deliver.

Those who have sold our priceless treasure did so without counting the cost. Is Jamaica's economy really benefiting from this deal? Or is it only the few who made this transaction who are really benefiting? What a price we have had to pay!

I am, etc.,

FIONA ADVOCATE

fionaadvocate@gmail.com