Time to look elsewere

[Marko]

Jamaica and Negril has had a strong repeat of visitors/tourist....
however mi personally can see that repeating visitors/tourist is dwindling pretty fast...…
this is from mi sightings and what other repeat fans of Jamaica are saying to mi these days...…
yeah the crime is the biggest factor though the raising cost in Jamaica hurts your wallet a lot too...

Jamaica's current infrastructure and law enforcement isn't close to being sufficient....thus the current problems
there are a lot of crimes, guns, poor judicial system, no current, no wata, bad roads, etc that most of us don't even hear about...…

mi afraid that the 2020's aren't looking good for Jamaica...….makes mi sad....

Jamaica and Negril desperately need new blood/visitors ....repeat visitors can only do so much

Cool Runnings, Marko

[rtitle]

I agree about lack of resources to fight crime, and I agree poverty is a stressor. But I don't think Jamaica needs more tourism. What it needs is sustainable development. Jamaica needs to be able to feed/house and otherwise meet the needs of its people in an independent way. The country has resources - fertile land, abundant water, plenty of sunshine (for growing things, and for solar power!), a vibrant culture, and is full of intelligent capable people.

Tourism is the wrong way to develop the country. The jobs are inherently servile, and the whole industry can and will disappear in the blink of an eye when there is a global downturn. Actually there are a lot of wrong ways to develop. Here's another book recommendation "The Uses of Haiti" by Paul Farmer https://www.amazon.com/Uses-Haiti-Pa...5642108&sr=8-1 . It's about how the developed world exploits nations like Haiti (and Jamaica) for the benefit of the developed world, not for the benefit of the exploited nation.

In my own small way I am trying to do a bit of good in Jamaica. I bought a no-longer-functioning farm and am in the process of developing it into a working business that can employ a few people and feed myself and others. Looking into installing solar power. The plan is to eventually farm and live in a totally sustainable carbon-free fashion, in rural Jamaica.

Initially I was getting harassed by a neighbor who is a criminal of sorts. His day "job" is he goes into Negril and hassles tourists for money. When I moved to the neighborhood, he must have thought "great, I don't have to go into Negril, my next victim is coming to me". I was getting harassed, threatened, stolen from. I almost decided "time to go elsewhere", like the title of this thread says. But I managed to get rid of him, and I managed to hire a really great honest young guy who is working for me developing my land with great energy and enthusiasm. At this point I am cautiously optimistic that I can be successful in Jamaica. However it's still possible that the high level of crime and corruption will drive me away.

[Accompong]

Jamaica and Negril has had a strong repeat of visitors/tourist....
however mi personally can see that repeating visitors/tourist is dwindling pretty fast...…
this is from mi sightings and what other repeat fans of Jamaica are saying to mi these days...…
yeah the crime is the biggest factor though the raising cost in Jamaica hurts your wallet a lot too...

Jamaica's current infrastructure and law enforcement isn't close to being sufficient....thus the current problems
there are a lot of crimes, guns, poor judicial system, no current, no wata, bad roads, etc that most of us don't even hear about...…

mi afraid that the 2020's aren't looking good for Jamaica...….makes mi sad....

Jamaica and Negril desperately need new blood/visitors ....repeat visitors can only do so much

Cool Runnings, Marko

Marco. I respect your opinion but don't agree with all of it. Your observations, sightings and opinions from some other repeat visitors is a small sampling to make such a statement that "repeating visitors/tourist is dwindling pretty fast". Statistics show otherwise with visitors hitting a record 4.3 million in 2017 which is larger than the total population of the island. They may not be those whom you are referring to in that statement though.
https://jis.gov.jm/record-4-3-millio...arrivals-2017/ I think it is reasonable to assume that a high percentage are either returning visitors or will be visiting again very soon.

I agree that crime is a major factor in people deciding not to travel to Jamaica for the first time or even repeating visitors but I don't think that number is more than the increasing number of those deciding to visit Jamaica for the first time or visiting again as the total visitor count keeps rising year after year. I fully appreciate that the rising cost in Jamaica for staples like food and transportation etc. hurts everyone but not at the same extent. It is devastating to Jamaicans living on a fixed income, unemployed or underemployed but not that significant to tourists. Whether a meal cost $10 US one time and then $15 US later as prices rise just get adsorbed into the vacation budget and route taxi fares going up $100 Jamaican or more hurts the everyday Jamaican much more than a tourist.

I don't think that either you nor I can prognosticate Jamaica's future going forward as we simply don't have enough insight on what measures will be taken to make things better for the country as a whole. I see a country whose government is willing to act regardless of politics to solve problems. It is true that they may have different opinions on just what a problem entails but some action will be undertaken. I was just staying in rural areas and, yes, the water was often off and the electricity was going on and off and the roads were in deplorable condition but a backup generator was being installed to solve the water pump current problem and JPS is upgrading its power grid all over the island.

I too am saddened by the random act of violence that might cause a visitor not to want to visit Jamaica again but, I don't visit a lot of places for the same reason and, sometimes, for even less of a reason. Everyone has to make up their own mind as we all have different tolerances for safety concerns.

Visitor numbers are accelerating and one could argue that long time, repeat visitors like you and I who might be referred to as "cheap" may help the local economy more by putting our money directly in the hands of everyday Jamaicans but we do, after all, spend less money per day than those who stay at All Inclusives and premium properties. I think if our numbers decrease, the void we leave will be readily filled by others so there will always be someone to do more if we are not there to do it.

Respect Marko.