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‘Pitchie Patchie,’ a popular figure in Jonkanoo,showing African links to the past
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| Several communities have been realizing the added value of putting their culture and talents on show for adventure-seeking visitors stepping beyond the sun, sea and sand tradition for a ‘real’ taste of their host destination.
What comes naturally are authentic demonstrations of dance, music and cuisine which, packaged or unpackaged present Jamaica’s rich cultural heritage in its purest form.
Studies have consistently shown that cultural heritage travellers stay longer and spend more money than other kinds of travellers. A good cultural heritage tourism improves the quality of life for residents as well as serving visitors.
Visiting historic sites and museums is the third most popular vacation activity for U.S. travellers behind shopping and outdoor activities.
TPDCo has been placing further emphasis on the development of cultural heritage tourism to widen the market for eco, nature based and adventure tourism. The development of Falmouth, Accompong, and the staging of food and music festivals are part of that process.
How Can Cultural Heritage Tourism help you?
In a nutshell, cultural heritage tourism benefits communities and the country at large by:
- Creating jobs and businesses
- Diversifying the local economy
- Creating opportunities for partnerships
- Attracting visitors interested in history and preservation
- Increasing historic attraction revenues
- Preserving local traditions and culture
- Generating local investment in historic resources
- Building community pride in heritage
- Increasing awareness of the site or area's significance
How to go about developing your project:
1/ Assess the potential by finding creative ways to stimulate the visitors’ interest and provide them with a memorable experience. Provide interactive experiences that engage as many of the visitors' five senses as possible. Bear in mind the guidelines for safety, health and environment.
2/ Seek advice from relevant authorities. Cultural heritage tourism brings together many different perspectives---preservation, the arts, museums, main street, humanities, elected officials, public land managers and more. By working together, you can accomplish much more than by working alone. It is important to involve the community in shaping your tourism efforts.
3/ Examine the inputs in terms of delivery, authenticity, proximity to resorts, road accessibility, ability to market and economic return. Set measurable goals in order to assess the viability of the project.
4/ Preserve and protect resources: Be sure that the historical, cultural and natural resources that make up your cultural heritage tourism program are adequately protected for future generations to enjoy as well. If these irreplaceable resources are lost, you can never get them back.
For further information, see Community-Based Development
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