Jamaica: Land of Wood and Water…and ‘Murder Capital’ of the World?

First and foremost, I chose this topic because I found it quite ironic that a country that attracts an average of over 3 million tourists per year has been marred by Crime. Jamaica’s crime rate is a distinctive feature that remains predominant in the eyes of the international Media.

Jamaica has always been a popular vacation spot best known for its beautiful white sand beaches, its perfect sunsets and its soothing reggae music; however the island's reputation for crime and violence has preceded it - often overshadowing the many wonderful aspects Jamaica has to offer its visitors. The BBC recently named Jamaica the ‘murder capital’ of the world in a recent study they commissioned (read article here, click the back button to return to blog). The study highlights that an average of 5 people are killed per day in Jamaica. Since the beginning of 2008, the crime rate spiraled to 700 murders in June, while the tourism sector continues to boom with visitors totaling over 1 million since the start of the winter season. What has always been most interesting to me is that even though the crime rate is staggering, this has not deterred visitors from going to Jamaica each year, making the island the number one Caribbean Vacation Destination.

Why do they want to visit an island which is so barbaric? Surely, PR has some influence! There must be a persuasive figure out there that portrays Jamaica in the best of lights - contrary to the level of bad publicity the country has received. I found this video was very spot on in its sugar coated portrayal of Jamaica. Of course witholding on the negative aspects you might stumble upon on your arrival could do no harm....can it?

References

BBCCaribbean.com Jamaica ‘Murder Capital of the World’ Jan. 3, 2006 http://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/story/2006/01/060103_murderlist.shtml [Accessed Dec. 26, 2008]