Crime and harassment in Jamaica: consequences for sustainability of the tourism industry

Abstract

PurposeThe aims of this paper are to examine how violent crimes and harassment have impacted the tourism and hospitality industry in Jamaica, and to evaluate the approaches that the government has employed in reducing the level of crimes and harassment against tourists on the island.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach was employed as the focus for this study. Surveys of residents, business entrepreneurs, and tourists at two resort areas in Jamaica were sources of data for this paper.FindingsThe findings suggest that moving towards sustainability of the tourism industry in Jamaica requires immediate, radical changes in attitudes, values and practices of the business community, the government and the media, as well as cooperation from local residents.Research limitations/implicationsThe city of Kingston, which is considered to be highly prone to violent crimes, was not considered in this study. The time frame of the study did not allow for this, and so the research focus was more on resort areas.Practical implicationsWith the problems of crime and harassment being reported in both the local and foreign news, the tourism industry in Jamaica has suffered not only from bad publicity but also from the perception of Jamaica as a dangerous destination.Originality/valueThe paper concludes that, while the tourism industry has been impacted negatively as a result of the increase in the number of violent crimes and harassment, less attention has been paid to both the immediate and remote causes of these problems.