Page 84 - Tourism The International Business

4. Where do tourists go?

Jamaica. Jamaica receives approximately 85 per cent of its visitors from North America. Originally tourists
came primarily by cruise ship and banana boat. Now the vast majority arrive by air. In addition to its proximity to
the market, tourism development in Jamaica was aided by the Cuban Revolution and the excellent efforts of the

Jamaican Tourist Board, thought by some to be the best in the Caribbean. Tourism is the second largest foreign-
exchange earner and the third most important economic activity after bauxite mining and sugar production.
Jamaica is best-known for its clean beaches of white and pink sand and its sheltered waters. Montego Bay is an
international resort; Port Antonio offers fishing and yachting; Kingston is the capital while the North Coast has
beautiful beaches and protected bays.
Barbados. Barbados depends on North America for about 60 per cent of its tourist visitors. It is also a
traditional vacation center for West Indians from neighboring islands. Recent attempts have been made to tempt

more Britons and Europeans to vacation there.
Other tourist centers. There are numerous other islands in the West Indies that have great tourist potential.
The British Virgin Islands offer facilities for sailing and other water sports. The attractions of Haiti, namely the
culture, which includes voodoo, the Haitian Alps, and the beaches, are overshadowed by the unstable political
system. The Dominican Republic, the burial place of Christopher Columbus, has gambling, free-port shopping and
water sports. Tourism is the major economic activity for Bermuda. It is known for its coral reefs, its beautiful
flowers, and its settings for water activities.
The Netherland Antilles, originally controlled by the Dutch, consist of the islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, St
Eustatius, St Maarten and Saba. Because each island offers something different, island-hopping is popular. The

various islands have elements of culture from France, the Netherlands, Great Britain, as well as their own
independent histories. Aruba was named "Ora Uba" or "there is gold" by the Spanish. It is best-known for its
beaches. Curacao has developed a reputation for inexpensive shopping. Bonaire has great natural greenery. St
Eustatius has stressed its history, while St Maarten promotes its dual cultures-French and Dutch. Both cuisines can
be found on the island. Saba has no beaches. The local airport is built atop a mountain. Both ends of the air-strip
plunge steeply to the sea below. Saba's cool climate (the island rises 884 meters from the ocean) encourages the
growth of many flowers and trees.

Cuba was once an important tourist industry because of its political, geographic, and economic ties to the United
States. In Havana, the capital, tourists could gamble the night away. After the revolution, Fidel Castro wanted to rid
the country of its dependence on the United States. For its part the US government prohibited travel by American
citizens to Cuba. As a result the tourist industry in Cuba collapsed.
The Bahamas. The Bahamas share the same kind of tourist attractions and rely on the same market as the
other islands mentioned above. Consisting of 3,000 islands, islets, and rocks, this independent nation offers a
healthy climate, beautiful marine scenery, some elements of its British colonial background, and excellent bathing,
boating, and fishing facilities. Because it is so reliant on the North American market its economy lives or dies with
the economic conditions in North America. It is said that the Bahamas catches a cold six months after the United

States sneezes. Because of this Bahamian officials are trying to diversify their tourism by developing lower cost
facilities to appeal to the Europeans, who tend to stay twice as long as do North Americans. Attempts are also being
made to rely less heavily on tourism, although tourism still accounts for about half of all government revenue and
provides jobs for almost three-quarters of the population.

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