Tourism Minister invites ideas!

[Slightly Stoopid]

Excellent suggestions. .Harry S.

[eddiemingus]

Harry S that was perfect. Garbage, hustlers and Amsterdam. It sounds so simple but whats it going to take. You have to change the culture and that takes a generation. I was behind a police car when I saw a plastic bottle come flying out the drivers window, how do you fix that. It's cultural and until Jamaica figures that out it's just going to get worse. One love pull up your pants and put the garbage where it belongs.

[Captain Oil]

I agree with the "trash" issue ............ it cost nothing to pick up the trash ............... educate the people to clean up and not throw trash on the ground ............ the government needs to spend the resources to pick up and dispose of this trash .............. seems like the few places that have trash containers are always over flowing with trash ................. besides being unsightly it is a health hazard and attracts feral animals such as rats, cats, and dogs.

Speaking of cats and dogs ............... institute programs to reduce the number of wild feral cats and dogs on the island.

DO NOT get rid of the "soul" of the country ................. the island architecture, vibe, music, food, etc...

[jcjcnj]

I am so torn to say what I think. We love Negril. But at the same time, I know, having recommended Negril as a destination and having the people be less than smitten, that there are some things that should be addressed. One couple loved Negril, the beach, they stayed at Swept Away and never left the property. The other couple stayed at Charela Inn and while they loved the inn and the all inclusive option they were very disappointed with the overall feel of the area and especially the "vendors". They are younger then us (we are officially old) and open minded but felt intimidated to the point where they did not stray very far from the inn. Knowing them and their vibe I will not try to recommend the location as a destination to other travelers, ever again. I honestly felt bad, even though I warned them and gave them advice about dealing with the hustle. Visitors should not have to learn about how to deal with hustlers. Visitors should not have to be intimated by people who while trying to make a living make the folks who are vacationing feel less than safe. We will continue to visit. We have our 5th trip on Sat. We are not bothered by anything. The draw for us is the shore. The sunsets. The low profile. The trees. The food. The quirky appeal of everything. The price point doesn't hurt either. But it seems like most people would rather plunk down more cash to have a more serene experience for their island get away. We have been to many destinations. My husband more so. And we don't care about being hassled by some local folks who want to sell us stuff we are not interested in. We are not going to be intimated by anything. We are there to relax and get away from the hassles of every day life. We don't want Negril to loose its soul. But come on. They have to be concerned that people are feeling less than safe while there. We went to Cancun and did not like it much but did find us commenting how clean and fresh everywhere seemed. While there were plenty of people selling stuff along the beach not a one made anyone (and we were there with 100 people for a wedding) felt intimidated. That shore in Negril is phenomenal to us. It amazes us that there is empty abandoned lots on what looks like a gold mind. There are plenty of people who would love to stay at small boutique resorts at a reasonable price. But there is a fear factor for some people who travel to Negril and that is not something anyone wants to deal with. Even some of the "seedier" locales (Thailand comes to mind) people do not feel threatened. I have never felt threatened, but plenty of people do. I read a lot of reviews. Part and parcel the biggest complaint is the "vendors". Trash, well we don't find Long Bay to be particularly littered. But man, the undeveloped areas on Bloody Bay sure are. While there is a certain appeal to the Bohemian vibe, sometimes I think that Negril takes it too far. I was greeted at a Tim Air flight during our first trip by a person who did the bracelet thing. Just off putting. No one wants to go on holiday, no matter how affordable, to be harassed. And while travelers may seem to have deep pockets, there is a reason why we are there besides the wonderful shore and all that is wonderful about Negril. It is a place we can go again and again, even though we are not rich. We don't have deep pockets to buy crap that you might have to sell. I stayed at Idle Awhile and loved the food vendors and enjoyed the others, but they never bothered us. Been all around the world and have never dealt with the hard approach as in Negril. We shall see how this up coming trip goes. Maybe we might rethink our destination going forward. People work hard for their money and want to be able to chill on their holiday and don't want to be bothered by hustlers.

[jomack]

I think it's great the Tourism Minister wants to hear from us, let's hope it will make a difference !
We love Jamaica for a reason; the people, culture, vibe, food and the love. The country is beautiful.
Few things to make visiting Jamaica even more enjoyable;
1. Roads to Negril....Such a popular place!! Ricks café, Margarittaville etc, The roads are horrible, improvements for everyone including the locals !
2. Trash.....
3. Hustlers, safety on the beach day and night

[Slightly Stoopid]

4 words -

Reggae Hall Of Fame

[CosmicMoose]

Would love to see some more respect being paid to preserving the environment:
1. Plastic bags are a detriment to oceanic life. They have killed whales and turtles.
2. Some sunscreens can kill coral.
3. From the limited amount of (even small) fish I have seen while snorkeling compared to other islands, it does seem over-fished.
4. Have seen threads elsewhere about parrotfish being taken for food, they help keep the reefs protected: http://voices.nationalgeographic.com...th-parrotfish/
5. I understand a breakwater was discussed and rejected, but how about artificial reefs? I have seen these in Grand Cayman and they do tend to draw in the fish and keep the beaches in better shape.
http://www.reefball.org/album/cayman...augtupdate.pdf
Here you can see what they look like > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooNytfHah9U

Regards,
Moose

[Shaggy]

I completely agree with the trash situation, it is one thing that erks me when we are there and gives the Jamaican ppl a bad image and yes I also agree about the cats and dogs, although I have seen some that were being well taken care , most are on their own. They are always friendly tho which they need to be to survive and I know tourist should not feed them but I'm a sucker myself when I see their eyes

[Bnewb]

Jamaica Campaign against the litter....

http://jis.gov.jm/anti-litter-law-strengthened/

[mjc12771]

Not sure if this is even possible but a walking path/sidewalk on the cliff road. The one they built on the beach road is really nice