Local Perspectives on the Onset of Mass Tourism in Jamaica
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Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 9-26-2017 2:00 PM The Other Side of the Enclave: Local Perspectives on the Onset of Mass Tourism in Jamaica Shenika A. McFarlane-Morris The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Dr. Tony Weis The University of Western Ontario Co-Supervisor Dr. Godwin Arku The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Geography A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Doctor of Philosophy © Shenika A. McFarlane-Morris 2017 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Human Geography Commons, Leisure Studies Commons, Other Geography Commons, and the Tourism Commons Recommended Citation McFarlane-Morris, Shenika A., "The Other Side of the Enclave: Local Perspectives on the Onset of Mass Tourism in Jamaica" (2017). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 5062. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/5062 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract Mass tourism development in the Global South is widely celebrated as a major source of jobs and foreign exchange, but it is also widely criticized for creating spatially and economically segregated enclaves that frequently have negative social, cultural, and environmental impacts. There is a large literature that details both the economic advantages and disadvantages of mass tourism development. However, critiques of mass tourism have done little to reorient the nature of the industry, as countries of the Global South such as Jamaica have generally placed much greater emphasis on the economic performance of the industry than on the associated inequalities. The overarching objective of this dissertation is to examine the ways in which mass tourism developments have supported or adversely affected community development, the living conditions of local residents, and the activities of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and fisherfolk. It approaches this by exploring the onset of mass tourism development in Lucea and Falmouth, two small towns on the north coast of Jamaica, where the industry had a relatively small presence until recent developments. In 2008, the largest resort in the country opened in Lucea, and in 2011, the largest cruise ship-oriented harbour-front development opened in Falmouth, developments that have significantly changed the social, economic, and environmental fabric of these two communities. The empirical basis of this dissertation centres on qualitative interviews with local residents, owners of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), fisher-folk and enclave employees, which were focused on understanding their perceptions of new opportunities, problems, and challenges, their sense of the planning process, and their responses to the changes that have ensued. Qualitative research is complemented by data from surveys with residents. The ultimate aim is to better understand how local people perceive the costs and benefits associated i with the establishment of mass tourism enclaves in their communities, and what they believe could be improved. One of the principal findings of this research is that the residents of Lucea and Falmouth do not believe that the rapid growth of mass tourism has brought widely dispersed benefits to their communities. Rather, these enclaves are broadly perceived as creating limited economic opportunities, apart from mostly low-paying, menial jobs, while transforming space in a negative way, establishing new forms of social segregation and environmental burdens. By taking local perspectives on mass tourism development seriously, this dissertation seeks to provide insights into how some of the exclusionary impacts could be mitigated and how the social and economic relations between communities and enclaves might be enhanced, at the forefront of which is the need to create more meaningful economic opportunities for the local people. Keywords: Mass tourism; enclave development; social exclusion; inequality; Falmouth; Lucea; Jamaica; the Caribbean ii Acknowledgements The past six years have been the most rewarding yet challenging time of my life. My PhD journey has been a time of learning, joy and, rewarding labor, but also some difficult periods, which included the loss of my beloved grandmother and some health struggles. I have often felt the meaning of the line in a famous Joan Baez song, that “no man is an island, no man stands alone [sic],” because without the love, support, input and patience of a number of individuals, this thesis would not have been successfully completed. I am very thankful to the Department of Geography and the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for granting me financial support in the form of the Western Graduate Research Scholarship and multiple teaching assistantships (including remotely while I lived in Jamaica), as well as to Research Development Services at Western for the International Research Award that helped support my fieldwork. I am deeply grateful for my academic supervisors, Dr. Tony Weis and Dr. Godwin Arku, who gave of themselves tirelessly and selflessly. They gave excellent intellectual feedback, mentorship and inspiration, and taught me a lot about academic writing and how to be a well-rounded individual. I appreciate their patience and support and how they went the extra mile to ensure that I kept progressing through the ups and downs. I could not have asked for better supervisors! I am also grateful to Dr. Jamie Baxter, Dr. Michael Buzzelli, Dr. Sherrie Larkin and Dr. Noella Gray for participating in my defence, and want to acknowledge the advice and support of Dr. L. Graham Smith and Dr. Belinda Dodson over the years. I also want give my sincerest thanks to the Department of Geography’s Graduate Administrator, Lori Johnson, who was always ready to assist me, and provided huge support at many key junctures. I am honored to have had a great circle of colleagues from the Department of Geography who supported me in various ways. It warms my heart when I remember the iii kindness of Riley Dillon and Maxwell Taabazuing, the first grad students I interacted with back in 2011, and who greatly assisted me in settling in my new environment. Thank you also to Dr. Hanson Nyantakyi-Frimpong who kept checking on my progress and encouraging me. In Jamaica, I owe a heartfelt thank you to all of my research participants from Falmouth and Lucea, for their welcome and co-operation, as well as to my field assistants, who made my job so much easier. I also want to thank Dr. Robert Kinlocke, a lecturer in the Geography Department at the University of the West Indies, whom I could always count on for inspiration and a good laugh during stressful times! Thank you also to Dr. James Parrent, Archaeologist at Parrent and Associates for useful insights into the history of the development of Falmouth as well as to Dr. James Robertson, a lecturer in the Department of History and Archaeology at the University of the West Indies for his support and advice. Last, but not least, thank you to my heavenly Father and family for their unconditional love and support, especially during the most challenging times in this journey. My mother, Saundra, has been a tower of strength who I have always leaned upon. Thank you so much! To my dear husband, Damion, I am eternally grateful for your patience, words of advice, love and total selflessness, and I will never forget all the great sacrifices you have made for me! I am also very grateful to the late, Dr. Joseph Ade-Gold who gave of himself in so many ways up to the time of his death. Thank you Rashell, my sister who has been another strong pillar in my life, and to Karen and Henry Jones, Richardo and Maxine Gordon, Dr. Jones-Fray, Verona, Joy and Abigail – your sacrifices and support for me are greatly appreciated. I love you all! iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………….………......v List of Tables...............................................................................................................................vii List of Figures…………………………………………………………………………..............vii 1. INTRODUCTION: THE IMPORTANCE AND UNEVENESS OF MASS TOURISM DEVELOPMENT ......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. The Scale and Imbalances of Global Tourism ......................................................................... 1 1.2. The Exclusionary Nature of Mass Tourism in the Global South ............................................. 4 1.3. The Recent Growth of Mass Tourism in Falmouth and Lucea ................................................ 9 1.4. Research Objectives and Questions ....................................................................................... 13 1.5. Dissertation Outline ............................................................................................................... 14 2. POWER, INEQUALITY, AND EXCLUSION IN ENCLAVE TOURISM ...................... 18 2.1. Introduction