A Review
The book “Caribbean Tourism” was written by Jean S. Holder and published in 2013 by Canoe Press in Jamaica. Even though biographical information was hard to find on Holder, his reputation as the chairman of the board of directors of the Caribbean airline LIAT of Barbados precedes him. He is well acquainted with the Tourism industry in the Caribbean and is well qualified in his field to write this book. The text in review currently can be purchased for $250 (ISBN: 9780766530150). Jean’s book is statistically accurate and provides and insight on the evolution of the native Caribbean perspectives of tourism, its sustainability as well as its economic roles. He claims to have had ample experience as well as a “comprehensive view” in the tourism sector being the chairman of an airline, this being an integral medium of arrival for the visitors of the region as well as international regions. He aspired to describe how historical events such as colonialism and slavery influenced the human phenomenon induced by the want for leisure and travel as material on such a subject matter was insufficient. He was very successful in his aim to “fill a large gap” in the knowledge of the Caribbean natives and his intentions were properly well manifested in the book.
Holder’s style of writing was eloquent yet concise and he conveyed his points with ease. Arguments and statements were well cited and well researched. The author’s ability to competently arrange his knowledge and research in such a simplified way for the reader made the topics easy to follow. He skillfully allowed some topics to flow into others seamlessly which added to the book’s comprehensiveness. As expected, chapters were aligned to a chronological characteristic and this allows for easy referencing and the formation of a clear image of the timeline in which described events occur. This would make an easy task of the addition of knowledge to that already possessed by the reader. In such material, evidence and trends would prove extremely valuable. Jean has included respective dates and in appendixes, a multitude of tables. These tables showed trends in arrivals, airline fares and other factors (page 351, 385, 424). Such factors speak for themselves of the competency of the text as it was intended and is well tailored for the student as well as one seeking knowledge of the Caribbean and its history. For one who isn’t acquainted with the Caribbean and its history, the book’s layout would not be of any hindrance and shows that it isn't lacking as an adequate medium of learning.
Jean Holder seems to take a revisionist perspective in his arguments about Caribbean tourism and alludes to the fact that colonialist notions induce negative connotations about tourism in the Caribbean. He would tie in how factors of tourism would have been influenced by colonizers. He argued in chapter 2 that because the interaction of the Caribbean people with those of the “whites” were somewhat racist, excluding and segregating, there was some sort of social trauma which stemmed from experiences under colonial rule (page 15). He used statistics to describe that tourism was and still can be seen as a caucasian activity and exclusive to such races (pg 15). In chapter 12 he described how the culture of the region would be dictated by the colonizers since they were the ruling classes and how the fact that wealth correlated to skin colour caused an increase in the belief and feeling that leisure activities were reserved for that of the “whites” (244-246). The general idea of his perspective in the chapters pertaining to such topics was of white oppression continuing over from the colonial days in the form of commercial exploitation. His revisionist perspective exposes the reader to accurate depictions as well as a fair view of the social perceptions of tourism and how the colonial system affected and influenced the Caribbean people. It provides a medium in which one’s mind can be opened to alternative notions of world history and most specifically the Caribbean. Such a worldview is beneficial and somewhat revolutionary in the sense that it is empowering to the Caribbean society on the whole and removes the notions of dependence on super powers thereby inducing self-efficacy.
Holder holds to the view that Tourism is a dynamic sector and will continue to change. He calls for the need to stay one step ahead of these changes, that they must be addressed.(pg 271). The book offers statistics of the past decades as well as forecasts for upcoming ones. This adequately supplies the reader with a wider perspective of how the tourism industry in the Caribbean functions and defines itself and would continue to. Jean writes quite optimistically about the future of Caribbean tourism in such a way that would induce some sort of positive outlook on the industry. Ralph Gonsalves states in his commentary on the book, “Jean Holder’s advisory on the future of Caribbean tourism is optimistic and sensibly programmatic, despite its many challenges” (UWIPress.com). Therefore this text not only aspired to cover the past and present of Caribbean tourism, but also its future as well in a well informed, delving manner and as such attributes to its value.
Holder’s use of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation as one in his huge list of sources of information as well as the Caribbean Tourism Research and Development centre indicates the reliability of his work and the legitimacy of the research that he presents to the reader. Each of the Caribbean countries, their characteristics, geographical positions and history in which he believed tourism began to take shape and was a main source of economic activity were well researched and put forth. Jean’s extensive knowledge and understanding of the Caribbean and its Tourism sector coupled with his use of the extremely reliable sources of information gathered via research and surveys results in a text that makes it hard to rebut any of his arguments and statements.
Putting the apparent competencies of the book aside, it can be said that Holder dwells upon few of the Caribbean countries and does minimal or no coverage on some of the other major Caribbean nations in the tourism industry. It can be understood that since the objective of Jean’s work was of the history and evolution of tourism, that he would stress upon the countries in which the invasive activity was cradled but seeing as he also sought to speak of tourism’s growth and adaptability in the Caribbean, one would assume that the other major nations would be taken into consideration. Maureen St. George wrote in her article that the Dominican Republic had the highest amount of visitors of about 4.3 million while Barbados has around 600,000 tourists per year. (TravelersDigest.com). There was also a larger amount of material on airline statistics as well as its history and development than of the cruising industry. The cruising industry may not be anywhere near as large as the air industry but is still a formidable and highly significant medium of transport for tourists be it internationally or intra regionally. According to statista.com, “The global cruise industry generated revenues of 36.27 billion U.S dollars in 2013, a figure which was expected to increase to approximately 37 billion by the end of 2014” (Statista.com). Some Caribbean islands are even dependent on cruise ships such as the St. Kitts and Nevis. Eliza Ronalds-Hannon says that Caribbean countries such as St. Kitts and Nevis are heavily reliant upon the jobs and income generated by the passengers brought by the ships during their voyages (Skift.com). These highlighted “issues” by no means are pitfalls of the book, nor does it make or break it. Neither are they deal breakers. The author kept to his thesis brilliantly (which may not have necessarily required the above information) and adequately presented his arguments and evidence.
Jean Holder set out to bring to the academic dinner table, a new dish that was dearly needed in terms of Caribbean identity. He aspired to enlighten the reader to an aspect within Caribbean history that one may not even consider. Tourism has become and will continue to be a largely important aspect of Caribbean culture and identity. Mister Holder has succeeded in filling that gap that was the origin of as well as the factors that affect and will continue to influence Caribbean tourism. His style of writing was beautifully executed and his information, acquired from extremely reputable sources, was extremely relevant to his arguments and recounting of events. Not only was there a recounting of historical aspects but a prediction of the future of the Tourism sector and a commentary of the present. His guidelines for the betterment of the industry certainly does add to the value of the book. Although some aspects, though not important were missing, the piece is very adequate in its purpose and well worth the price of 250 dollars. This would be suited for students, history enthusiasts and anyone seeking to extend one’s knowledge of the Caribbean history and culture and ultimately Tourism in the Caribbean region. The question is posed to the people of the Caribbean, as Holder iterated in the latter parts of his book, “Whither Caribbean Tourism?”. Where will the industry go given the highlights of this book and the collective knowledge of the man who lived and breathed it?
REFERENCES
Ronalds-Hannon, Eliza. "The Caribbean Islands Most Dependent on Cruise Business." Skift. 25 Sept. 2013. Web. 7 Nov. 2015.
St Marten, Maureen. "The Ten Most Visited Caribbean Islands - Page 2 of 2 - Traveler's Digest." Traveler's Digest. 1 June 2014. Web. 7 Nov. 2015.
"Topic: Cruise Industry." Www.statista.com. Web. 7 Nov. 2015.
Gonsalves, Ralph. "JEAN HOLDER'S CARIBBEAN TOURISM: A REVIEW COMMENT By RALPH E. GONSALVES." The University of the West Indies Press. Web. 7 Nov. 2015.
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