Commentary on “Connecting with Culture”

Abstract

This article analyzes a community tourism enterprise in Jamaica that has sought to provide an alternative experience to the self-contained resorts that dominate tourism in Jamaica. The resorts as they are currently structured have actually become a barrier between tourists to Jamaica and Jamaican society. This has had negative effects on the quality of the tourist experience for visitors to Jamaica and has limited the economic and social benefits of tourism for Jamaica. The community tourism project outlined by Hawkes and Kwortnick is an ideal model in theory. Its intention is to offer tourists a genuine Jamaican tourist experience and to expand the benefits of tourism for Jamaican society. However, the practical application of community tourism requires considerable development and improvement before its can be a commercially viable alternative for tourists and operators alike.