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TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES: PLACES

Parrot

The map shows clusters of places with interconnected stories which merit a visit by interested tourists.
We'll soon make this map interactive but, sorry, for now the pages are under construction.

TELL A STORY:
Everybody in the world likes and understands a story. Stories are the cornerstone of all national culture. Most successful forms of entertainment – from art exhibitions, restaurants, adventure parks & poems to songs, theatre & museums – involve taking the consumer along the enjoyably predictable journey of scene-setting, meeting characters, choosing routes or following plots, feeling emotion, evoking senses and reaching a distinct end. When an experience is dissatisfying, it is often because the story lacked continuity, lacked in meaning or failed to deliver on a key story component.

THE MARKET: Today’s tourists seek authentic, interactive experiences. They come to Jamaica wanting to see the land, eat the food, hear the language, dance to the music & feel part of Jamaica’s culture for a day. They want to collect vivid, meaningful experiences to store as memories & exchange as conversational currency.

Environmentally responsible travelers tend to be between 34-54 years old. They want local guides, small groups, un-crowded places & meaningful educational content. This sector is expected to grow quickly in the future. Here’s a list of some of the things that tourists like:

  • Entertaining experiences & memories, not just services
  • Comfort & convenience; friendly, efficient service
  • Charming & knowledgeable people
  • Authenticity & local flavour (the nice bits with only a touch of grit!)
  • Harassment-free (the #1 complaint about Jamaica from cruise tourists)
  • Value-for-money (not particularly price sensitive when it comes to tours - often upwards of US$100 per person - but remember margins added by tour company then cruise line, the latter anywhere from 10%-100+%)
  • Treated like a friend, not a tourist
  • Activity-bundling to extend appeal & add perceived value - make a day of it (somewhere to eat, somewhere to relax, something for kids to do)

Each of these groups of places is associated with one or more themes, including: