There was a time when we lived for us, meaning we cared for each other, loved one another, prayed for each other, played together, ate and drank together, even buried our friends together. But now, it’s like all that we do is for our ‘visitors’, because somewhere along the way someone told us that if we invested in our ‘visitors’, we would become rich and have or make plenty money.
So, the process started by creating modern plantations through hotels at our beaches, creating comfort resorts for our ‘visitors’ leisure and ensuring we fill them with local helpers to ensure that all their needs and wants are met and or made available.
Then the process continued, we invested in street-side vending and from North to South our people line the street-sides offering ‘our visitors’ trinkets and every conceivable item to please ‘our guests’, all hoping to make a buck or two.
Then, for those who have clout or accessibility to obtain loans, or have other sources of finance, we started buying vans and coaches, expensive taxis and boats, opening resorts and restaurants all over the island, to live the dream of catering for the thousands of ‘visitors’ that ‘visit’ our shores.
Now it’s all about making the US dollars so from renting beach chairs to offering tours of all kinds, or braiding hair. We now also offer snorkeling services and hikes — just name the service, it’s become available and thousands of our people have transformed their livelihoods into offering services to our visitors.
The cost and services and thrills have become so expensive that very few locals can afford to participate or purchase anything because everything is geared for the touristic trade.
As to if all our converted sales persons are making a profit is questionable, but for the merchants bringing in the needed supplies, or those making spaces or outlets available, they are all making a killing because you got to invest to live that dream.
If you go North, day or night the cost of everything is sky high and we as locals cannot afford hiring a taxi in the city and every cubicle is too-small for leisure, or relaxation for the locals, so we have to buy and leave, because the services are not for us, all we have is matchbox outlets.
People now work longer hours, put all their time into ensuring they meet ‘our visitors’ needs and throughout the cruise ship season or relying on our hotel or Bread and Breakfast guests some money can be made so the concept is ensuring that our island guest can get anything they want because we ensure that all that they may want is readily available.
In the meantime, nothing is for locals, unless you are looking for rum, drugs, or a fried chicken leg — not even a good restaurant.
Few people realise that their investment can be in jeopardy if the tide changes, be it by this global economic situation, or by natural disaster through climate change.
The lending institutions are encouraging all to invest, the policy makers are selling the concept and everybody is buying into it, so this generation of today are all caught up in the buying and selling craze.
In the meantime, the dog-eat-dog attitude continues, everything is about ‘the tourism dollar’, with no growth for the locals, as it is ‘the tourist’ that’s our new-found salvation. So, we sell all our land and rent for all who need leisure space.
But I will not call that brainwash, instead it simply gross stupidity, because in the final analysis only a few will profit from such ventures, and the loses in most cases will and can never be regained.
We cannot continue to put all our eggs in only the tourism basket, because if the tide changes there will be plenty of losses. Just reflect on the COVID era, when everything stood still. The same can happen again, but in other ways.
The world is very unstable these days, the cost of living is rising due to wars and worldwide conflicts, and climate change can deter us on our course and the government that everybody is looking for to bail them out when there is a crisis, may not be there to soften the blow.
Think Tourism, but also remember to cater for us locals, because we too have needs, we to want to enjoy the best this island has to offer, but not at the prices that you are offering your goods and services. After all, we are not ‘tourists’ and money does not flow in our pipes like WASCO turning water into wine.
But if the tide changes, where do you run to? Who will help you pick up the pieces? Who will help you with your debts? Who will buy your goods and services at the prices you are selling?
Be careful with your investments, because situations can change like the weather — and you will most likely reap what you sow, because following the trends may not be sustainable these days.
These are just my views, what I usually call Food for Thought, so enjoy today’s free meal!