On Tourism and the Constructions of ‘Paradise Islands’ in Central America and the Caribbean

Abstract

A comparative perspective of the tourism industry in the islands of Colón, Panama and Carriacou, Grenada is presented in this article. The islands have long histories of association with colonial powers, coupled with more recent histories of ‘discovery’ as tourist destinations. The historical constructions of ‘paradise islands' and the appropriation of tourism for nation‐building purposes in these territories are analysed. The discussion assesses the underlying reasons for the differing responses by African Caribbean populations toward tourism development, in spite of similar colonial and postcolonial histories.

Multicultural Tourism, Demilitarization, and the Process of Peace Building in Panama

“…Throughout my years studying the archipelago, I witnessed its transformation from a place where social classes were vaguely delimited and where access to basic resources was available to all because of well‐developed reciprocity networks, to a place where some foreign resident expatriates and Afro‐Antilleans have profited from unregulated tourism development, while the majority of the population (particularly Afro‐Antilleans and Ngöbe) have experienced a substantial decline in their standard of living. In previous articles (Guerrón Montero , , ), I have addressed the ways in which Afro‐Antillean populations at large have used “infra‐political” (Merrill ) tactics to generate and accumulate social and cultural capital as a result of their participation in the tourism industry, while recognizing that their economic conditions either did not improve dramatically or were in fact reduced. In this article, I concentrate on the conflicts between the state and Afro‐Antilleans, which have resulted in disorganized tourism development and minimal opportunities for effective local responses.…”