Social Impact with Emma » tourism : A Jamaica Gleaner Blog

Living Online with Humans and Birds: NAOC 2020

August 12th, 2020

In this COVID-19 life (yes, we’re “living with COVID,” aren’t we?) I, for one, am mostly living online. Whether it’s writing blog posts, posting on social media, or attending Zoom meetings, I spend a lot of time in front of a screen. It is actually quite tiring, sometimes. But I am staying home. This is […]

Down Memory Lane

July 25th, 2020

I have been reading quite a lot about our state of mind during COVID-19. Indeed, mental health remains a major concern as the pandemic continues to bite in some parts of the world. Now that the initial panic and confusion is over, here in Jamaica we are panicking less, but still confused and muddled, not […]

Are We Ready to Recover from COVID-19?

July 20th, 2020

I don’t have all the answers on COVID-19. I have attempted to look at a few areas where the coronavirus has made a major impact in previous posts. However, I feel I am scratching the surface. There is so much more to be said and more importantly, so much more to be done. Because “recovery” […]

A Muddle Over Masks

June 10th, 2020

Well, life is confusing these days. And, it seems, there is nothing more confusing and mysterious than the coronavirus. As we are on the verge of opening our borders to non-Jamaicans and tourists, we have finally received and hopefully perused the incredibly detailed document issued by the Ministry of Tourism. A relatively short first phase […]

Tourism’s Fragility Exposed

February 29th, 2020

I am not an economist (and I may well be corrected by my friend and fellow blogger Dennis Jones, who is!) but recent developments have given me the sense that Jamaica depends too heavily on two areas: Tourism and Bauxite Mining (an unsustainable activity – how much longer do we plan to go on mining? […]

Port Royal: A Rebirth or a Reinvention?

January 27th, 2020

I have mixed emotions about the little town of Port Royal. It is now undergoing some kind of transformation, due to the development of a (floating) cruise ship pier in the mangroves just north of the town itself. What is the future for the town, its beleaguered environment, and the livelihoods of its residents? It […]

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