My head hurts: Do we need American Airlines so badly?

I am always suspicious about figures to do with the "benefits" of tourism. One of my big beefs is that the accounting is a bit skewed; we hear about the money coming in but do not look at the tourism-related money that goes out in many forms.

When I read stories such at the recent ones covering the Jamaican government's guarantee to American Airlines to continue flying to the island (see Gleaner report), I scratch my head. I want to watch the pin-head dancing to explain why money cannot be given to Air Jamaica to support it--not that I am in favour of that, just that I want to hear the arguments--but money can be found (US$ 4.5 million), lickety spit, for a foreign airline. I know that a lot of the tourism industry is supported by various forms of subsidies from government to hotels and airlines to keep up visitor numbers, so am always intrigued at what is the true net gain from all those visitors, when one strips away the headlines of "visitor arrivals increase", "tourism major foreign exchange earner", etc., remembering that a lot of the foreign exchange then goes back abroad. So, I sympathize with Paul Pennicock's (Air Jamaica, vice president-marketing) finger pointing at the goverment: he should know what he's dealing with, given that he was formerly the government's director of tourism. So real carefully what the Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, is ready to pay for:

Under the deal, AA will not fly its planes into Jamaica if less than 65 per cent of the seats are taken up. However, if the aircraft is more than 65 per cent full but less than 75 per cent, Jamaica will be required to pay the 10 per cent revenue that the airline would lose. [I presume that Jamaica pays whatever is the actual difference between 65 and 75 percent, which could be only 1 percent.]

Minister Bartlett said, "that was a small price to pay for a deal that will see American making 19 new flights to Jamaica each week with the possibility that approximately 156,000 more visitors could make their way to the island over the 12 months."

He added, "This will earn more than US$96 million for Jamaica with the Tourism Enhancement Fund, which is financing the deal, earning US$1.2 million over the period. Even if you were to pay the US$4.5 million, look at the value of the thing."

That sounds like good leverage of government money, but is it the whole story? From another stance, I know a lot of people, who if given a share of the nearly US$ 5 million in their own pockets, would be happy to find their own way to Jamaica, without American Airlines.

Anyway, a lot more explaining needs to be done. Jamaica has invested a lot into tourism, and with more rooms coming available when major American airlines are raising fares and passenger fees due to much higher fuel costs--though crude oil prices fallen fast in recent weeks from near US$150 to around US$110 a barrel--and threatening to cut schedule flights to the Caribbean, the government may feel the squeeze on its proverbial private parts.

Governments are elected and then decide priorities. Governments are also in place to make decisions for the benefit of the population. These decisions are made from a very difficult set of conflicting demands, and the demands are never ending.

I know a lot of people in Jamaica who don't want to see money bogged down in some bureaucratic process to stop the funding to rebuild Bog Walk Gorge--again (see some comments in The Observer)!Or, better still, find a way to make a route that is more suitable for the heavy traffic that this single available route offers. Do the people only have pipe dreams?

People are also wondering while they wander across the new Hope River Bridge--the old bridge was washed away this week by Tropical Storm Gustav, and its torrent of rain. Tropical storms and hurricanes are also annual visitors that need to be accommodated. Is there hope for those people? They will be very cross if they have to keep crossing by this new Bailey bridge (or is it barely a bridge?).

People in Jamaica are also experiencing a different kind of tube riding than is familiar to some of the visitors from London or those Americans accustomed to tubing down fast flowing rivers on vacation.

These are the crosses that we have to bear. But, don't cross the people too many times.

Suffering fools gladly.

A Jamaican friend shared with me a story in the Gleaner of September 2 (see report), that points out how my peeps are dealing with the ravages of tropical storm Gustav. I'm sure that people will remember for a while the image alongside of the lady being carried over the river like she was on the back of St. Christopher. Cost? J$200 for the ride (US$2.75). But really a priceless experience. Better than a bobsled ride on Mystic Mountain, near Ocho Rios? I'm sure there was also someone nearby offering to clean the lady's clothes, and maybe redo her braids. Anyway, she had some stories to tell when she reached her job. Puts a new meaning to hill and gully riding.

A word to the International Olympic Committee. If the Games can have synchronized swimming why can't they have piggyback riding? Very simple event and it probably needs no instant review. We could include irritating judging based on opinions on artistic interpretation--imagine piggybacking and dancing "Nah linga". But, IOC, are you afraid that Jamaicans will bolt to the lead in this event too?

The image of another lady having her legs wiped off with disinfectant and then reportedly having lotion applied, after she had waded through muddy river water, will also be an image that should last for the ages. Cost of that "treatment"? J$20 (about US 30 cents). Another priceless experience? Better than an afternoon at the spa at Barbados' Sandy Lane or Kingston's Jencare? In the US, this would probably have led to a law suit for sexual assault. Someone in Jamrock may see the opportunity to offer this kind of service on a wider basis and have "bus stop spas" dotted around key points in the city, such as Half Way Tree. Why not offer a mani-pedi or facial freshen up after having to rub up against Marvin and Martha on a bus in the heat of the day? I give the ideas for free.

It is a well known fact that we in the Caribbean are creative people, and know how to deal with a range of adversities. Nothing against Americans and not belittling those in New Orleans at this time, but when they get hit by some natural disaster, it quickly takes on the proportion of international disaster and we all hear how "dem a suffa". When year after year we in the Caribbean live under the multiple beatings of tropical storms and hurricanes and volcano eruptions, we get barely a "Oh, look at those poor people where we took our beach holiday, John." Sure, we have fewer people at risk and ironically because we are poorer and less developed, the value of property damage is much less, but "we a suffa bad too".

We move on and try to make the most of life's daily challenges, and put a lot of trust in God. Meanwhile, we batten down hope that we have all of our loved ones safe during the oncoming onslaught of tropical storms and hurricanes: Ike is coming, and Josephine is forming (see names for 2008 and beyond).