One of the most common complaints about tourism is that it does not spread the wealth it creates into rural and urban communities. This is particularly so in larger Caribbean nations where many thousands are engaged in agriculture, opportunity and education are limited, and where urban drift has resulted in poverty and criminality.
The criticism is, that despite the industry accounting in 2014 for 14.6 per cent of the Caribbean’s GDP, tourism directly and indirectly employing around 15 per cent of the region’s workforce, and the industry probably contributing much more in other ways that are not statistically captured, its impact on development is not universal.
The reasons are largely related to the manner in which tourism developed. Based on sun, sea, and sand, and a narrow perspective on the part of most early hotel and resort developers, the Caribbean created a product that for the most part, is largely contained and unchallenging.