THE EDITOR, Sir:
EVERY TIME I drive to the Norman Manley International Airport, I am stricken with a sense of grief for the arrested potential that is Kingston.
You see, there are no cruise ships docked in the harbour; shops selling shrimp, roast fish, jerk chicken, or local craftwork do not line the Palisadoes tombolo; and parents don't take their children for afternoon strolls along the waterfront. Rather, but for the many ill-placed industrial facilities, the area from downtown Kingston to the airport is best described as a wasteland, devoid of the activities that make cities liveable and that could make Kingston a marketable tourist destination. The truth is, it need not, and should not, be so.
For the natural beauty of the area and the rich culture of its citizens (at times perverted), Kingston ought to be a destination of choice for travellers to the region. Instead, the economic and quality-of-life potential of the area from downtown Kingston to the airport and on to Port Royal remains untapped and all Jamaicans are the worse off for it.
As a tourist destination, Kingston could offer a product separate from that found in Negril, Montego Bay, or Ocho Rios. And similar to places like San Juan, the Kingston appeal would be the cultural experience - complementing the beach resort experience of the traditional destinations of the North Coast.
The idea of developing Kingston as a tourist destination is not a new one, but it has never, in my opinion, received the needed widespread attention at the government, private sector, and citizen level.
Of course, crime remains one of the major deterrents to any serious attempt to promote and develop Kingston as a place that Jamaicans and foreigners alike could enjoy. Still, I believe there is hope for Kingston, but first we must find a way to remove the fear that both locals and visitors have of Kingston.
Curbing crime and marketing Kingston as a tourist destination, far-fetched as it may sound, could make Kingston the capital city the Jamaican people deserve and bring much-needed foreign exchange into the country.
I am, etc.,
SHELDON LYN
sllyn@hotmail.com
New York City
Via Go-Jamaica
