THE EDITOR, Madam:
SOMETHING IS really wrong with this country when the government declares that tourism is our number one foreign exchange earner yet does little to improve our tourism product. Two weeks before the recent heavy rains I took an aunt from England on a tour from Port Maria to Negril and felt quite ashamed at the way my country looked.
The entire town of Port Maria is a mess from Pagee Beach to Little Bay. Ocho Rios and St. Ann's Bay were not as deplorable. I will assess Montego Bay after the completion of the South Gully Project. However, the conditions of Hopewell and Lucea in Hanover made my stomach turn with the sight of garbage everywhere. Where is the Tourism Product Development Co. in all this malaise?
Having visited Negril a few months earlier I was surprised to see that not much work has been done on the North Coast Highway between Montego Bay and Negril. Only in Negril is some asphalting being done. Can we continue to attract tourists to this country when our infrastructure is in such a ramshackle state?
I hereby propose that the TPDCo, the JTB and Parish Councils formulate a comprehensive will to do something about the look of Port Maria and Lucea in particular. A conservative estimate of $20 million could re-surface the roads in these towns, paint the frontline buildings, clean up the garbage and plant some bougainvillaea plants. The result of such a project would go a long way in making the country more visitor-friendly and spare me the indignity of feeling ashamed when I tour such areas with relatives.
It is bad enough our tourism product suffers from other problems like harassment, but no one wants to come to a tropical eyesore.
I am, etc.,
DUDLEY MacFARLANE Jr.
Jeffrey Town
St. Mary
