Dear Editor,
On Wednesday, December 17, 2014, the United States and Cuba had a landmark moment in their relationship. The US president ordered that the process begins to normalise relations between the two countries. As a result of cold war tensions for the last 54 years, the US and Cuba have been at odds with the most obvious being the US embargo on Cuba.
Most Jamaicans do not seem to be very concerned about the issue. In fact, very few seem to be in the know. This is entirely wrong. Jamaica's economic well-being was always tied to US-Cuba relations. Jamaica, of all countries, benefited the most from the fall-off in US-Cuba relations. Tourism accounts for 30 per cent of GDP. This is interesting, because in the immediate years, in the aftermath of the Cuban Revolution that saw Fidel Castro to power, Jamaica experienced a sharp growth in the tourism sector. Foreign investors that had their investments tied up in Cuba needed a way to start earning again and Jamaica was now a prime destination. This led to an amazing growth in the tourism sector as an alternative to Cuba.
Clearly what happened to Cuba was unfortunate. And that it took this long for the US to establish relations is doubly sad. Jamaica, however, as a country benefited from Cuba's misfortune, but now it seems the party is over. It seems that relations between the two nations seem to be going back to normal. So the question now is, what does this mean for Jamaica?
Hmm... Cuba is just 90 miles off the coast of Florida, compared to over 700 from Jamaica. Crime in Cuba is limited to petty crimes and minor gun-related offences compared to Jamaica.
The embargo on Cuba was both a blessing and curse. The blessing is that it had been forbidden to US travellers, and now that it's open many will be intrigued to explore Cuba. This way the future does not look good for the local tourist industry. In this new era of global tourism competitiveness, Jamaica needs to up its game because the advantage we have had for the last 50-odd years is now gone.
Javon Moatt
moattj@hotmail.com
Look out, Cuba is coming!
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On Wednesday, December 17, 2014, the United States and Cuba had a landmark moment in their relationship. The US president ordered that the process begins to normalise relations between the two countries. As a result of cold war tensions for the last 54 years, the US and Cuba have been at odds with the most obvious being the US embargo on Cuba.
Most Jamaicans do not seem to be very concerned about the issue. In fact, very few seem to be in the know. This is entirely wrong. Jamaica's economic well-being was always tied to US-Cuba relations. Jamaica, of all countries, benefited the most from the fall-off in US-Cuba relations. Tourism accounts for 30 per cent of GDP. This is interesting, because in the immediate years, in the aftermath of the Cuban Revolution that saw Fidel Castro to power, Jamaica experienced a sharp growth in the tourism sector. Foreign investors that had their investments tied up in Cuba needed a way to start earning again and Jamaica was now a prime destination. This led to an amazing growth in the tourism sector as an alternative to Cuba.
Clearly what happened to Cuba was unfortunate. And that it took this long for the US to establish relations is doubly sad. Jamaica, however, as a country benefited from Cuba's misfortune, but now it seems the party is over. It seems that relations between the two nations seem to be going back to normal. So the question now is, what does this mean for Jamaica?
Hmm... Cuba is just 90 miles off the coast of Florida, compared to over 700 from Jamaica. Crime in Cuba is limited to petty crimes and minor gun-related offences compared to Jamaica.
The embargo on Cuba was both a blessing and curse. The blessing is that it had been forbidden to US travellers, and now that it's open many will be intrigued to explore Cuba. This way the future does not look good for the local tourist industry. In this new era of global tourism competitiveness, Jamaica needs to up its game because the advantage we have had for the last 50-odd years is now gone.
Javon Moatt
moattj@hotmail.com
Look out, Cuba is coming!
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