As the 2022-23 winter tourist season kicks off today, we were drawn to a compelling article Monday in the United States publication Traveloffpath.com, which made us reflect on the Jamaica that could be had crime not become such a pernicious millstone around our collective necks.

After outlining every reason visitors should shun Jamaica, the publication, rather incredibly, concluded: “However, if you’re flying into Montego Bay hoping to catch a tan and have a few drinks by the pool as you watch the sun set over the Caribbean from your hotel, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.”

The backdrop to the article titled ‘Should you cancel your trip to Jamaica?’ is the declaration of a new state of emergency (SOE), the third time since 2018, as crime, mainly murder, continues to rage, defying every anti-crime plan, such as it can be called.

Traveloffpath.com concedes that “Jamaica is a highly sought-after beach destination, packed with natural wonders, warm year-round, and brimming with culture. Whether it’s sunbathing on a golden-sand beach, swimming in inland grottoes with the bluest of waters, or sampling some Afro-Caribbean cuisine, newcomers are sure to fall in love with the small island.”

However, it suggested that there is “a darker side to Jamaica” that most tourists are not aware exists, and one that is casting a shadow over the island’s exceptional tourism recovery. That darker side is crime and violence.

Moreover, it says Jamaica is one of the top trending countries for Americans right now — thanks to a historic post-pandemic demand and the Andrew Holness Administration’s abolition of entry requirements.

“On the downside, it has been slowly backsliding on the security front, struggling to curb the advance of organised crime and being cited in a ranking of countries with the highest crime rates globally,” said Traveloffpath.com.

“Beyond its gated villas and luxury developments, Jamaica is far from being an immaculate, trouble-free paradise. So far this year, 120 individuals were killed in Kingston, and 10 out of 19 police divisions have recorded spikes in violence, accounting for three-quarters of all murders,” the online publication wrote.

It draws attention to a US travel advisory telling its citizens to reconsider travel to Jamaica due to crime, listing all of the areas in the affected parishes. Still, it says, the island remains a leader in booking in the English-speaking Caribbean, ranking as the fourth most popular destination for Americans.

“Needless to say, the vast majority of visits are trouble-free, otherwise Americans would be cancelling their vacation plans en masse… the average visitor to Jamaica is staying at an all-inclusive resort or tourist complex, where the chaotic scenes of downtown Kingston, or suburban Montego Bay, are not usually a concern.”

Crime notwithstanding, we note that president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association Mr Robin Russell has said that Jamaica is moving closer to repeating its 2019 tourism season during which nearly 4.3 million visitors came. This comprised 2.7 million stopover arrivals and 1.6 million cruise passengers, whose combined spending was an impressive US$3.64 billion.

Imagine what Jamaica and the tourist industry could be had we been able to keep crime to manageable levels.