Tourism is something seen as common and in most cases, good for the economy as well as for a person in need of a vacation. From one person’s point of view, it would seem as if nothing was ever wrong with tourism. However, if one was to read A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid, one might see a different approach to the idea of tourism. Through exploring the problems of the island of Antigua, Kincaid shows one the ways in which tourism obscures the island's struggles. In this sense, A Small Place tells one that tourism is a double-edged sword – while it provides money for the nation, it also exploits it. Before gaining its independence from the United Kingdom in 1981, Antigua was a large slave country. Upon the nation receiving its freedom, it was …show more content…
Kincaid describes how the tourists attitude becomes when they are on the island. She says, “An ugly thing, is what you are when you become a tourist, an ugly, empty thing, a stupid thing, a piece of rubbish pausing here and there to gaze at this and taste that, and it will never occur to you that people who inhabit the place in which you have just paused cannot stand you.”(17) Kincaid is trying to explain that while a tourist leisurely tastes or looks at local items that are for sale, most of these poor people are hoping and praying that a tourist is going to purchase something. The native Antiguans need the money that tourists purchase food or souvenirs with so they can feed themselves and their families. One can imagine how desperate some of the vendors might become when they have children to feed and need the tourists to purchase items they've grown or made. It is like a constant tease to the vendors and native people. Watching tourists casually sample their food or look closely at items they have made, not knowing if the tourist will make a purchase. The Antiguans have to put up with this behavior because this is how they make a living. However, the tourist is not worried about the effect their purchase decision has on the vendor or the economy of Antigua. The tourist's main concern is whether they like the product enough to buy …show more content…
A tourist becomes an empty thing with only one thing on their minds...themselves. A traveler can become self-centered especially when they want to relax from whatever stresses they have in their own lives. They want to see and do specific things on their limited vacation time and make the most of the experience for themselves. Kincaid says, “You see yourself meeting new people, only they are new in a very limited way, for they are people just like you.”(13) Kincaid is trying to convey that tourists to Antigua do not take the time to get to know the native people and learn their story. All a tourist wants is to enjoy Antigua's resources and relax on the beach. In their minds, the native people blend into the background and they become like scenery with the rest of the attraction. Taking the time to learn about the island citizens might cause a tourist to become more aware of the struggles these people face and develop a better appreciation for
“…staring at the sea, beer in hand…Free time is now the luxury, not sugar…or any of the goods that delighted the fickle tastes of Europeans…Such goods are now taken for granted – they came with a price, too, though that has long been forgotten (Gibson, 347).” In response, after reading a passage that states, “What is the earthly paradise for our visitors? Two weeks without rain and a mahogany tan…at sunset, local troubadours in straw hats and floral shirts beating ‘Yellow Bird’ and ‘Banana Boat Song’ to death…every island, is an effort of memory; every mind, every racial biography culminating in amnesia and fog (Gibson, 348).” I am truly in agreeance with Gibson, visitors are devoid of Caribbean culture and history to this
“Jamaica’s a country of great dichotomy. On the one hand you have a tourist industry with great beaches and resorts, but on the other you have such great poverty and the violence that goes along with that.”(Michael Franti) In this paper, I will talk about the geography, the history of Jamaica, the people that live there now and that lived there in the past, the lifestyle of the society, and the society, like the government and economy.
A lot of tourists would not think that they are offending the native residents when they travel. In the article, “The Ugly Tourist” excerpt from Jamaica Kincaid’s book, Small Place, she argues that when one is in a state of being a tourist, one does not know the depth of the place and only sees what one wants to see. Kincaid gives a strong idea of what she is arguing when she described a tourist as “an ugly human being.” She presents the emotional conflicts between tourist and the natives by evaluating their different lifestyles.
Steven Gregory’s book entitled The Devil Behind The Mirror is an ethnographical study of the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is in the Caribbean, it occupies the Western half of an island, while Haiti makes up the Eastern portion. Gregory attempts to study and analyze the political, social and cultural aspects of this nation by interviewing and observing both the tourists and locals of two towns Boca Chica and Andres. Gregory’s research centers on globalization and the transnational processes which affect the political and socio-economics of the Dominican Republic. He focuses on the social culture, gender roles, economy, individual and nation identity, also authority and power relations. Several of the major relevant issues facing Dominican society include racism, sexism, and discrimination, economy of resort tourism, sex tourism and the informal economy. The objective of Gregory’s ethnographic research is to decipher exclusionary practices incorporated by resort tourism, how it has affected locals by division of class, gender, and race, increasing poverty and reliance on an informal economy.
In summary, the small country of Costa Rica has always been a highly sought after vacation spot. However, the influx of drugs and the deforestation have caused tourists, including myself, to question the desirability. Nonetheless, according to Forbes, Costa Rica is “The Happiest Place on Earth. Its national conservation policies, small ecological footprint, high quality of life and life expectancy rate are all exceedingly above par.”(Greenstein) I feel that Costa Rica would be an intriguing place to visit because of its vibrant landscapes and the abundance of incredible Catholic Churches.
In part fictional and part autobiographical novel “A Small Place” published in 1988, Jamaica Kincaid offers a commentary on how the tenets of white superiority and ignorance seem to emerge naturally from white tourists. She establishes this by using the nameless “you” depicted in the story to elucidate the thoughts they have when visiting such formerly colonized islands. This inner mentality of the white tourists reveals how tourism is still a form of oppression for the natives of such formerly colonized tourists as it continues to exploit them. I will be focusing primarily on page 10 of the text to illustrate this.
One of the most important themes running through Kincaid’s essay is the political and economic scene of Antigua. The fact that the airport is named after the President, instead of a school or hospital, shows exactly how vital the role of the airport is in the life of the Antiguans. W...
Over the last five hundred years the Cayman Islands have had a rich and diverse history. They grew from being very isolated islands inhabited mostly by crocodiles and turtles to being one of the worlds premier tourist and financial centers. Being so small and isolated has given the Caymanians a strong sense of history and culture that is distinct, even from their Caribbean neighbors. They enjoyed a relative sense of insulation from many of the problems that plagued the rest of the region.
The beautiful, radiant and vibrant island that goes by the name of Jamaica is located on the Windward region of the Caribbean. It is one of the best place to be on earth. Our motto “Out of Many One People”, symbolizes the vast cultures and races that make up this beautiful island. Jamaica the land I love, lives on in each individual and leaves a positive impact even with just one visit or no visit at all. In this essay I will elaborate on the various cultures that build up the island, the different attractions the country has to offer and an overview of the unique lifestyle of Jamaicans.
Walking along the nature trail on the island that is surrounded by beautiful green plants and palm trees I came across stingray cove, a place where you can swim with the stingrays. Enjoying the sights of the stingrays I spot a colossal starfish by a rock in the water. I came across the lagoon that I could have ridden jet skis in or kayaked, but couldn’t get to close due to the plants and rocks. Making my way back towards the beach I watch as people ride horses in the water. Starting to smell something great I realized that it was time for a bohemian meal. While enjoying a delicious meal, a band was playing some relaxing reggae. Quickly my time at Half Moon Cay came to an end, I was not ready to leave the tropical paradise. I cannot wait to take another cruise just to come back and relax. Half Moon Cay also known as Little San Salvador Island with only 2 percent of the island begin developed, is an international bird sanctuary and natural preserve. With that being said the only way to visit is by cruise ship. Whether just wanting to relax on the beautiful beach, explore the island, or do excursions like snorkeling Half Moon Cay, Bahamas is a place I look forward to visiting
The Hospitality and Tourism sector is characterized as the fastest growing sector in Jamaica. Many tourists from all over the world travel each year because of the country’s beaches, culture, climate and landscape. Despite the contribution of other sectors the Hospitality and Tourism is still the giant industry that contributes largely to Jamaica market share. In this paper, we will call the Hotel that I am employed ‘Hotel A’ for privacy reasons. Hotel A was formed in 1981and has developed to be one of the largest all-inclusive resorts in the country, tackling all factors that impact on its overall success. Some of these factors are political, economic, social, technological environmental and legal factors called the PESTEL framework. “A
When one thinks of Barbados, one thinks of luscious, turquoise blue waters; soft white sand beaches; blue, white clouded skies; fresh fruits; exotic, delicious dishes and honeymoons. One, however, tends to forget the formation of this land. This Caribbean luxury Island has much history and great heritage. In this report, I will detail Barbados’s location, history, labor relations, population size and structure, industries, plus add a little zest with the beauty of the Island.
Fletcher’s article helps to provide more of an insight on why these Caribbean countries rely on the tourism industry, giving a greater perspective of the workings of capitalism as in order to survive it must continually grow. While it is important to note that looking at one small area in the Caribbean and its impact on the tourism industry, cannot lead me to draw any general conclusions– as not every Caribbean country will react to the tourism industry in the same way - the study discussed on Jamaica’s Ocho Rios still can provide perspective as to how this heavy reliance on the tourism industry can affect the social, cultural, environmental, and economic standing within such countries. Further research must be conducted on all different effects and within tourist sites in order to come to a general conclusion. Many researchers have offered frameworks on how to prevent such negative impacts from occurring, and this can be helpful for the future of this fast-growing industry. As a person who has travelled to the Caribbean quite frequently (as I have family members who reside in Barbados), because I stay with family members and thus can see the island from a local perspective, I have witnessed first hand the small ways in which the tourism industry affects a big Caribbean tourist destination such as Barbados; not just with those deemed as outsiders with the tourism industry, but those working within it.
Tourism is a typical activity of fashion that the public participate widely and it has grown in importance over recorded human history. Innumerable articles refer tourism as “the world’s largest industry”; policy-makers, analysts, and scholars often speak of the size of the tourism compared to that of other industries (Smith 2004: 26). These series of misleading statement, together with the mass media’s reports (out of context), make the idea that tourism is a single large industry branded into many people’s minds. However, in this essay I will demonstrate that it is a simplistic and misleading idea, which should be replaced by the plural term, “tourism industries”. Moreover, tourism is not the world’s largest industry, but largest service sector.
Barbados previously dabbled in the mass-tourism industry, but currently primarily offers a more up-market and luxury product. The success of tourism was traditionally measured in percentage annual increase of arrivals, however this type of measurement ignores important variables such as length of stay or visitor expenditure and seasonal variations. This fa...