Professor proposes disaster tourism to help with post-hurricane recovery

 

A university professor is calling for more structured visitor access to communities ravaged by Hurricane Melissa, adding that this could create new economic opportunities through what is being described as 'disaster tourism'.

 

Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies at the University of Technology, Professor Gaunette Sinclair-Maragh, says disaster sites attract visitors globally, making the preservation of Jamaica's heritage artefacts critical.

 

Professor Sinclair-Maragh explains that visitors, such as social and natural scientists, may travel to these areas to study or re-examine the events, creating opportunities for educational tourism alongside sightseeing.

 

She adds that disaster tourism must be managed responsibly, where all stakeholders, including residents and visitors should be mindful of their surroundings, be respectful to all beings and the social and cultural environments. 

 

"We could think of having guided tours of the affected areas, but in having these guided tours, they must be structured and so we have to provide training, involving the residents as the tour guides, but we have to train them. And training means they must have knowledge of the event, knowledge of the history of Black River or its environment. They must have gained training in customer service and relations. They must be sociable. They must be able to speak well and deliver well. So training is first and foremost if we're going to develop and use this model and it must involve the residents because they ought to be a part of this delivery and experience," she suggested.

 

She pointed to Black River in St. Elizabeth as a community that could be rebuilt with a museum to house artefacts from the old town.

 

Black River is historically significant, known as the first town in Jamaica to have electricity, and home to important 19th-century landmarks including the courthouse and Catholic and Anglican churches.

 

Meanwhile, Professor Sinclair-Maragh says disaster tourism can also help with economic recovery in hurricane-ravaged communities. 

 

"As time passes and people are putting their lives together, you know, there's a need for a new type of income for them to live. And so this is where the opportunity will present itself because it will not only be in tourism itself or for tourism, but there are linkages to agriculture," she noted, pointing to craft, short-term accommodations and entertainment. 

 

Professor Sinclair-Maragh was a guest Tuesday on the Morning Agenda on Power 106.