Tourism in Caribbean Islands
1. Introduction
Many things have shaped the history of the Caribbean islands, decolonization, economic modernization and the globalization of tourism. When most of the islands became independent from foreign rule they needed to build up a working economy. Some of the bigger more resource rich island nations started to produce and export goods but many of the smaller island states did not have this opportunity. When tourism started to grow, both types of islands benefitted a lot from it, but it was the most important for the smaller islands that had basically no foreign income at all. Step by step the importance of tourism grew in the region, and at the moment it is the biggest income to the Caribbean islands. Tourism developed across the Caribbean in three waves. First, in the late 19 and early 20 century, a few steamship lines carried a small amount of wealthy North Americans to Bermuda, Jamaica and Cuba. The real take-off took place, however, during the 1950 and 1960 because of the growth of jet travel, the U.S. embargo of Cuba, aid-financed air and sea transport infrastructure, and the expansion of foreign hotel investments. Within two decades, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands in the north, Aruba and Barbados in the south grew into popular international resorts. During the 1970 also cruise ship traffic grew significantly and expanded to the rest of the Caribbean islands (Wilkinson, 1997).
Caribbean vacation package is a product that is produced, advertised and sold for mass consumption (Duval, 2004). You can compare the Caribbean tourism industry to other industries as petroleum production or forestry, in that they all involve exploitation and using of natural resources. Caribbean tourism is mainly based on the sun, sand and sea. It is the same as with any other industry that is based on using natural resources, it brings a way for economic development and damage the local environment. The image that Caribbean islands have is beautiful white sand
Many things have shaped the history of the Caribbean islands, decolonization, economic modernization and the globalization of tourism. When most of the islands became independent from foreign rule they needed to build up a working economy. Some of the bigger more resource rich island nations started to produce and export goods but many of the smaller island states did not have this opportunity. When tourism started to grow, both types of islands benefitted a lot from it, but it was the most important for the smaller islands that had basically no foreign income at all. Step by step the importance of tourism grew in the region, and at the moment it is the biggest income to the Caribbean islands. Tourism developed across the Caribbean in three waves. First, in the late 19 and early 20 century, a few steamship lines carried a small amount of wealthy North Americans to Bermuda, Jamaica and Cuba. The real take-off took place, however, during the 1950 and 1960 because of the growth of jet travel, the U.S. embargo of Cuba, aid-financed air and sea transport infrastructure, and the expansion of foreign hotel investments. Within two decades, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands in the north, Aruba and Barbados in the south grew into popular international resorts. During the 1970 also cruise ship traffic grew significantly and expanded to the rest of the Caribbean islands (Wilkinson, 1997).
Caribbean vacation package is a product that is produced, advertised and sold for mass consumption (Duval, 2004). You can compare the Caribbean tourism industry to other industries as petroleum production or forestry, in that they all involve exploitation and using of natural resources. Caribbean tourism is mainly based on the sun, sand and sea. It is the same as with any other industry that is based on using natural resources, it brings a way for economic development and damage the local environment. The image that Caribbean islands have is beautiful white sand