Neglected tourism prospects
Published:Tuesday | January 4, 2011 | 12:00 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
For the third successive year, my wife and I spent Christmas in western Jamaica.
One Sunday afternoon, we visited Fort Charlotte in Lucea and were somewhat disappointed. The entire compound is in a state of neglect. The three cannon are rusty.
I would have visited the parish church, but the gate was closed. The Hanover Museum has been closed for a few years.
On Tuesday, we paid a brief visit to the Kenil-worth ruins, which are considered the best example of old industrial architecture in the island. We were pleased with the campus at Kenilworth, but the ruins need some maintenance and sections of the road to the campus need fixing.
I have mentioned the above to highlight the potential for architectural tourism. Unfor-tunately, we haven't really caught on to the vision.
self-promotion necessary
Regions, not parishes, need to come together and market their area. Some years ago, Arnold Bertram proposed county councils, but we did not buy into the idea.
In addition, certain areas need to promote themselves and not depend entirely on umbrella organisations like the Jamaica Tourist Board and the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association. If I were a stakeholder in Portland, I would target Portland, Maine (metro area: 513,102), and Portland, Oregon (metro area: 2,217,325).
Chambers of commerce and parish councils need to do their due diligence and secure investments for different areas. Cities/areas could be twinned and share information. We don't have to wait on the politicians. What about Cornwall, Middlesex and Surrey seeking to get closer to their counterparts in the United Kingdom? What about Aberdeen, St Elizabeth, linking up with Aberdeen, Scotland (pop: 213,810)?
We are doing well in tourism, especially in a difficult economic climate, but we cannot be satisfied with 1.8 million stopover guests. We should be aiming at 5.4 million and beyond!
I am, etc.,
NORMAN W.M. THOMPSON
Department of English
and Modern Languages
Northern Caribbean University
Mandeville