World Heritage Sites As Tourism Magnets

Treasure Beach Forum: TB Runnin's: World Heritage Sites As Tourism Magnets
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Zed on Saturday, October 22, 2011 - 11:27 am: Edit Post

From a recent article, in the Hospitality section of the Gleaner, discussing the bitter off-season tourism businesses as the US and European economies experience continuing adverse prospects, the journalist is encouraging hotels and other operators to mine the local market by whatever means necessary.
But he concludes that "the marketing pitch to the Jamaican market appears to be spasmodic and without the sustained, industry-wide approach needed to galvanise consumer interest. This is unlike the case in the 1970s and 1980s."

Mr Morrison, as others before him, makes a plea for restoring, shoring up and promoting the cultural heritage of the Island as source of historical, geographical and social benefit and pride.
As he states: "A critical building block in developing domestic tourism is the restoration of our rich cultural-heritage assets that cover all stages of our history. Apart from the role that this would play in educating our people about their history, these assets represent platforms for the enhancement of our entertainment industry. All of this would, of course, enrich the tourism product that we market to overseas visitors as well."
www.hospitalityjamaica.com/features1.html

Janice-Francis Lindsay (World Heritage Studies...):
Of the 878 world heritage sites (as of November 2008), 14 are located in the Caribbean, with the majority positioned in Cuba (nine inscriptions) and one in the Dominican Republic. Haiti is also home to one world heritage site, as is St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, and Dominica. It is critical for Jamaica to establish a presence on the World Heritage List as a strategic move to attract cultural tourists who are seeking more authentic visitor experiences, and who, the research shows, stay longer and spend more at destinations.

Despite being a signatory to the World Heritage Convention for well over two decades, Jamaica has still not attained a position on the World Heritage List. In 2006, Jamaica submitted the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park to the Tentative List, an achievement due largely to the efforts of the non-government organisation that manages the park, the Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust.

... Caribbean islands can lift their overall ranking and competitiveness in the tourism market by first recognising that natural and cultural resources are the lifeblood of tourism. If we fail to buy into the social value of conserving our natural and cultural heritage, perhaps our communities will draw inspiration from the economic value of these niche markets. Let us, as a matter of urgency, critically analyse the trends that are emerging globally, both with respect to the 'nature' of the product and the 'profile' of the tourist seeking the product.

As a developing nation the challenges in pursuing World Heritage status will be many, but the possibilities are rife. This is the path for the future; it is an economic necessity for a country like Jamaica to maintain its competitive edge in the region, while seeking to establish a coveted spot in the global tourism market.


GLEANER LINK:
World Heritage Status-A Necessity For Jamaica's Tourism
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090118/focus/focus4.html

Comparing Cuba's World Heritage Sites (9) & 3 Tentative To Jamaica (0)
www.worldheritagesite.org/countries/cuba.html


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Beth on Sunday, October 23, 2011 - 03:21 am: Edit Post

Zed successive governments have missed the obvious and are very short sighted.There is a lot more to our little island than sun sea and sand and why not combine these with our rich heritage? On the other hand there are tourists who travel the world just to go on heritage tours.A colleague of mine is currently in Peru, not a country you associate with traditional tourism but the promotion of Peru's fantastic heritage has drawn tourists from far and wide and people feel enriched by the experience. Jamaica also needs to get away from the mentality that if it's old it's not worth saving.Who is advising these government ministers?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Z on Sunday, October 23, 2011 - 08:09 am: Edit Post

Jamaica National Heritage Trust Website
www.jnht.com/

Heritage For Poverty Alleviation
http://mobile.jamaicagleaner.com/gleaner/20110605/news/news4.php


Case Study For Planners: Black River
www.gttp.org/docs/casestudies/2002/02JamaicaDoc.pdf


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rootsinclusive. on Sunday, October 23, 2011 - 10:52 am: Edit Post

Beth, no workable long term plan for such as heritage tourism can be designed with 4-8 year changes in those deciding policies and priorities.

Meantime many of our heritage sites are being destroyed by development. No funds and staff by those responsible. Little understanding or care by those that level and burn.

Cherish what has survived so far.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Zed on Monday, October 24, 2011 - 11:01 am: Edit Post

It's readily apparent to anyone, even breezily, looking over the criteria for the listing of a World Heritage Sites that the city of Falmouth and its environs, if it were authentically renewed, would score highly.
To many, Falmouth is a station along the north coast, getting from here to there. However, it helps in the telling of the story of King Sugar and the matrix of plantations (Good Hope-an especially prime example), technology, the pain & disgrace of forced labour, water transport (Martha Brae River), ports, middle class life and worship and markets in one of the best preserved architectural remnants of a coherent Georgian style.

Falmouth needed tender loving care from preservation groups, commercial & touristic elements, townies and the government, in terms of development plans and funding that would integrate the lives and fortunes of the existing residents and stakeholders, who have held on by their fingernails for the duration.
Although the comparison is strained, one need look at all the "whole cities" on the World Heritage Site List (Venice & Verona in Italy etc etc) which maintain a semblance of everyday social and commercial life, yet massively attract world-wide travelers...a "plague" according to some.

The question that's being asked here is did our Island sell out to an international conglomerate when the Royal Caribbean entity was invited to dredge up and and potentially distort the coast of Trelawny in order to make volumetric space for a cruise ship pier complex for the largest cruise ship on the planet...with the help of Ja government loans (US$122M).
Diana McCaulay (JET) is invited to weigh-in on the environmental and sustainability issues on the national scales of future benefit::cost/loss.

The overwhelming justification must have been the increased profile for a Jamaican tourism destination product with a sanitized view of history and the promise of a network of jobs, hopefully without the displacement of those vendors and citizens who have made activity throb in Falmouth pre-Pier.(?)

LINKS:
The Restoration of Falmouth's Prominence:
www.jamaicatourist.net/new_standard/page10/falmouth_restoration/

A Scant Background of the Deal:
http://falmouthjamaicainfo.com/?page_id=93

How Some Cruisers View The Falmouth Enterprise:
www.cruisedirectonline.com/falmouth_jamaica_port_planner.html

OLD PROMOTIONAL NEWSFLASH:
Historic Falmouth To Expand Jamaica's Cruise Ship Capabilities

January 2011 will bring the first of many cruise ships to the 32-acre, two-berth Historic Falmouth Cruise Port as the Navigator of the Seas arrives on January 7.
The Port is a US$220 million project under development by Royal Caribbean Limited (RCCL) in partnership with the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) for the berthing of the cruise line’s Genesis class ship, the newest and largest class of cruise ships.
Historic Falmouth will offer visitors a new port experience, featuring walking tours of the 240-year-old town. Additionally, passengers will have access to 60 attractions in the surrounding area and in nearby Ocho Rios and Montego Bay.

“Historic Falmouth is the first cruise port to become an attraction in its own right, and is poised to transform the town into a host city for Jamaica’s growing cruise industry,” ...“Smart planning and superior berthing capabilities will attract an increased number of large vessels, and will significantly boost visitor arrivals. Historic Falmouth Port will additionally showcase Jamaica’s diverse range of attractions.”

Points of interest in the historic town of Falmouth include:
· Water Square – the site of one of the first public water systems on the island. Falmouth residents had piped water before New York City.

· The Cannon at Fort Balcarres – one of the original two that remain of the 1811 fort built to defend the harbor.

· The Armoury – Fort Balcarres – a 15-square-foot structure with walls four to five feet thick.

· St. Peter’s Anglican Church – the first church in Trelawny, built in 1796.

· Tharp House – built in 1785, this was one of three houses owned by John Tharp, the largest land and slave owner in Trelawny during the sugar era.

· Old Baptist Manse – originally built as a Masonic Temple, this later became the residence of the “Great Emancipator” William Knibb.

· William Knibb Memorial Baptist Church – the second Baptist chapel in Falmouth built 1837 by William Knibb, which essentially acted as the headquarters of the anti-slavery movement on the island.

· Glistening Waters – just east of Falmouth, this luminous lagoon is one of Jamaica’s most spectacular natural wonders.

· Court House – built between 1815 and 1817, this served as host to many town gatherings, from balls to poetry readings, and now houses the Parish Council offices.

· Barrett House – the townhouse of Edward Barrett of Cinnamon Hill, on whose land much of Falmouth was built.

· Albert George Market – originally built in 1896 and refurbished in 1989, this market was named after Albert, Duke of Clarence, and the future King George V who visited Jamaica in 1882.

· Phoenix Foundry – an original structure built by a field engineer around 1810. It was used as an interpretation centre and museum in the late 1970s.

Restoration work on a number of these historic sites has begun and work will continue on others in years to come.

Among the nearby attractions is the Greenwood Great House; located just west of Falmouth in the hills overlooking the sea, this house was built by the Barrett family between 1780 and 1800...
Chukka Caribbean will also be offering an additional 20 attractions to visitors to the area. Known for creating exciting experiences that include ocean safaris, ATV tours, dogsled rides, and even a bus ride to the birthplace of Bob Marley, Chukka Caribbean will launch Jamaica’s longest zip line at the Good Hope Great House Estate.
Dune buggies and river tubing will also be available at the site, and diverse attractions can be explored in neighboring Ocho Rios and Montego Bay.

Local Community Involvement
The Historic Falmouth project was planned as an extension of the local community, providing a comprehensive list of services and activities for tourists and locals. In addition to the "authentic" historic attractions and points of interest, Falmouth Cruise Port will include restaurants, duty-free and boutique shops, a craft market, offices, and residences within walking distance.

The restoration and preservation of several historic buildings in Falmouth is being undertaken as a multi-government-agency project involving both private and public sectors. It is expected to generate 300 new jobs in addition to the several hundred created during the construction stage.

Architectural Heritage
Falmouth was founded in 1769 and is considered one of the Caribbean’s best-preserved towns from the Georgian era. Its historic district is a National Heritage site with many late 18th-century and early 19th-century buildings still standing.
Also recognized by the World Monuments Fund, Falmouth has been listed on that organization’s Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites four times in the last decade. This rich architectural heritage gave inspiration to the design of the project, which will support a natural integration with the historic town of Falmouth.
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(Cited from Jamaica Buzz)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Z on Monday, October 24, 2011 - 12:32 pm: Edit Post

Authenticity Check: A Tourist (on YouTube) With A strolling Camera In the Falmouth Pier Area:
•"Margaritaville is here...of course!"

• Lookie...Lookie: People on stilts...they make a nice living...I guess?

• There will be more stuff... a lot of T-shirts...It (Falmouth pier) is going to look very cute when it's all ready.

• A couple of years down the road when everything settles it will be verry-verry nice.

Background Musical Accompaniment:
All you want to do is ride around Sally...Ride Sally ride
You've been running all over the town
Oh, I guess I'll have to put your flat feet on the ground
I bought you a brand new mustang... 'bout nineteen sixty five.
Now you come around signifying a woman,
girl you don't wanna let me ride.
Mustang Sally, guess you better slow your mustang down.
You been running all over the town now.

One of these early mornings,
I'm gonna be wiping your weeping eyes.

Mustang Sally, guess you better slow your mustang down.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Zed on Thursday, October 27, 2011 - 09:48 am: Edit Post

Falmouth: National Heritage Trust Site Faces Forecasted Environmental Mess Due to Dredging of Reefs To Construct A "Foreign" Cruise Ship Pier

Senator Dennis Meadows, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) caretaker for North Trelawny:
"Since the dredging of the reefs the coastline along Harbour and Rodney Streets have been severely eroded. In the case of Harbour Street, the road is being severely undermined rendering the road to single lane traffic," the government senator fumed.

He argued that with the high tide season approaching, the seaport town could experience severe flooding if mitigating measures are not urgently implemented.

...mayor of Falmouth Colin Gager who noted that the affected roadway was being eroded even before the development of the port, has conceded that the erosion of the coastline has accelerated since the reefs were dredged to facilitate the construction of the facility.

Environmentalist Royland Haye has repeatedly warned that the development of Falmouth to accommodate mega cruise liners, could lead to widespread flooding and environmental disaster in the seaside town.


OBSERVER LINK:
www.jamaicaobserver.com/westernnews/Gov-t-Senator-blames-pier-development-for-co astal-erosion_10021594


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Zed on Sunday, October 30, 2011 - 07:58 am: Edit Post

TAINOS: Archeological Excavation of A South Coast Taino Cultural Site Threatened By Housing Development...Thankfully The Landowners Are Supportive of The Project

Crafting an alternative model of resort development, the citizens of Bluefields, Westmoreland, are opening up their Taino artefacts to the world.
...plans for the area by the Bluefields People's Community Association (BPCA), a community-based organisation which has been in operation for over 20 years:

"We have a very different vision for tourism, determined to create an alternative model to the overdevelopment that has plagued north coast resort areas with adverse environmental and social impacts". (Wolde Kristos, BPCA chairman)
...the Bluefields Archaeology Project is strategically aligned with ... research communities, united under an official local development vision.

The Archaeology Project's approach to heritage management in Bluefields is in keeping with the community's 20/20 Challenge, designed to support the Bluefields Development Council's efforts to achieve
sustainable development of bay area communities by the year 2020.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20111030/lead/lead4.html