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Tourism in Barbadosby Michael C-KingBlpr 208: Afro-Caribbean Politics, 5/20/00
Tourism in Barbados is considered the catalyst for the revamping of the economy and general landscape of the nation. However from the research I conducted and first hand experience I will show that tourism has had a negative impact on the landscape of Barbados Barbados is an island of approximately 260,000 people and the sixth highest density among nations (Espenshade p256) With tourist arrivals of over 500,000 (Gmelch p51). The question then is how can such a small island with not enough resources for its population sustain a 200% increase of its population due to tourism. Facilities for the locals’ will no doubt have to be reduce and the monies from them giving toward the tourist sector. The negative impact this industry has on the ecology of Barbados is vast. Because of the great number of tourist coming to Barbados needs have arising to build more hotels and tourist related products. This requires land. Barbados was once an agriculture based economy and these lands that were once used to feed the masses are now taken over for the building of hotels. For example, while I was in Barbados over the summer of `99 the lands once used for the grazing of livestock and where an abundance of fruit trees existed, has now been destroyed and a marina for the likes of Oprah Winfrey in their place. Where will the local farmers graze their livestock now? These farmers have now sold their cattle and gone into other areas of employment. Even more disturbing is what has occurred with the produce of local farmers. My grandmother for instance have about50 + acres of land. This land is cultivated with sugarcane, ground provisions, peppers, watermelons etc. These foods were once predominately sold in the community. Of past years a vast majority of these foods are sold directly to the hotels. This forces many of the locals to go the super markets own by rich whites and purchase their groceries at exuberant prices.(Gmelch p166) This is now becoming a wide practice for many farmers in Barbados. An American songwriter wrote a song discussing this plight in Hawaii which is considerable relevant to that of Barbados,
This destruction is still more evident in the parish of St.James. An area, which was once densely, populated by tress yet still flood whenever there is any significant amount of rainfall was transformed into a golf course. Will the flooding intensify ,no doubt. There are no longer any trees to help impede the flow of the water. This assessment is backed up by in the book "Tourism." " In taking advantage of prime locations the resorts have emerged as dominant features in the landscape and have frequently modified and eroded the area’s natural resources." (Mathieson p 122) More yet, the area where my community bathed (Sea) is now that infamous marina mentioned above. While taking a swim one of the many yachts in the marina sprang an oil leak resulting in. pollution of the sea. To make matters worse it seemed as if God was playing tricks with us. The oil spill did not spread to the hotel area only the area where the locals bathed. How has this marina help the people of Barbados? Menial jobs of gardener etc.paying 80-90 $Bds. A week On the West Coast of Barbados Known locally as the Gold Coast because of it’s golden sandy beaches many hotels and condominiums have sprout up. This has created what people term visual pollution. If one take a drive along this coast expecting to see a view of the ocean all one will see is out of place humongous hotels and codominiums. Some of which are rather grotesque. This abundance of hotels have raise the price of land considerable preventing many locals from even considering purchasing coastal property. Where is the sewage of these hotels going? Right into the ocean destroying the reefs and marine life. Where are the tons of garbage they generate going? To an already overburden landfill. (Gmelch 169) Anyone taking a drive through the interior of Barbados will be met by a tremendous stench from the overflowing landfill. Hotels are now in the habit of blocking access to the beach by putting up boulders along the beach with the absurd statement that they are trying to prevent beach erosion. The most famous calypsonian from Barbados The Mighty Gabby wrote a song pertaining to this problem. "Jack don’t want be to bathe on this beach This practice occurred at a beach bar in Barbados in the month of March. After the locals voice their disapproval the Prime Minister ordered the boulders removed. This practice is also creating aggressive behavior by the "BadBoys" of these communities. Escalating violence including killing and robbing of tourist has become more prevalent. Driving to the city has now become a New York City experience. Traffic congestion have reached new York levels because of the continual hotel construction, sewage lines, cable and gas lines etc. Noise and dust pollution has reached incredible levels. If this continues we will reach the endemic problem of asthma that the south Bronx has. As it states in tourism
Other areas of negative impact the economy. Government and tourist backers tell us that tourism generates a lot of profit for the nation. This is misleading information. To prove my point I will use a fictional example. An American decides to go Barbados so they book their flight through an American travel agency. A tnc corporation owns their hotel. The restaurant they eat at owned by the same Tnc Corporation. All the profits go to the tnc corporations and to the local economy. As Luis perez states
These same businesses that cater to the tourist Transnational Corporation (TNC) will only locate there if tax concessions are made. They end up paying little or no taxes yet the money they make while in the island sent back to their headquarters. Tourist generally comes from the upper middle class. Their diet consists of prime meats, require usage of air conditioners and drink scotch ands whiskey. None of which is produce in abundance in Barbados; therefore they have to be imported. Such luxury items no doubt cost the government tremendous amounts of money. (O’ Grady p18). Whatever revenue generated by the tourist will be spent to purchase these high price goods. Where’s the profit? The so-called jobs of the tourist industry are of little or no help. To create one tourist-related job thousands of dollares have to be spent to build hotels etc. While in a small-scale cottage industry it takes tens of dollars. (Mathieson p22). Many of these hotels are all inclusive. Which means that the tourist no longer has to go to the local shops to purchase anything. How does this help the economy Barbados? With these all-inclusive hotels facilities that were once open to the public like bathrooms and cafeteria are now restricted to the tourist. (Gmelch p166) This occurred because the government sold off many or all of their shares in these hotels to TNC’s. The government of Barbados has been corrupted by the tourist industry. For the island to be promoted as a tourist resort center or destination the government must make concessions in regard to policies over to the tnc. (O grady24) For example in st.peter the government has disregarded a school overlooking the marina. As it continues to deteriorate a tnc corporation is in consultation to buy the school, demolish it and build a resort. Is this in the best interest of the nation? In conclusion I will leave you with a poem that clearly speaks of the disasters of tourism in Barbados.
Bibliography Espenshade, Edward. Hudson, C John and Morrison, Joel. !995 Rand Mcnally 19th Edition Goodes’ Atlas. Gmelch, George and Gmelch B, Sharon. !997 The Parish behinds God’s Back. University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor. Mathieson, Alister and Wall, Geoffrey. !982 Tourism: economic, physical and social impacts. Longman New York O’ Grady, Ron 1981 Tourism in The Third World Orbis Books MaryKnoll, New York.
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