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I took a cruise once. They took us to the beautiful Island of Roatan. As soon as you get off, you can take a motorized chair lift to their private beach. Over

I took a cruise once. They took us to the beautiful Island of Roatan. As soon as you get off, you can take a motorized chair lift to their private beach. Over the dolphin experience, and a bay with spotted eagle rays. The beach, perfection. The sand, hand raked. Amazing beautiful place. With a beach bar, and sunny reggae music playing. A place anyone could take a postcard quality photo for their instagram. Of course, almost unavoidably with cruise ship glistening in the sunshine in the background. Its at that moment, I realize I'm living a dream. A dream, dreamt up in some board room meeting for free advertising. Outside the carefully constructed boundaries of this corporate beach paradise, a country with one of the highest murder rates in the world. To this day, I have mixed feelings when I think of this place.

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warent 6y ago
Them having a tourist economy is probably still better than the alternative. As long as you're mindful that you're in an experience that was crafted for you, I don't see a problem with it. Ignorance is not required or necessary to appreciate a paradise experience.
- LilBytes 6y ago
  I very much doubt that money trickles down to the local community that needs it in any measurable way. Trickle down economics doesn't work in Western Countries, in third world countries, this would be demonstrably worse. You see the exact same in Fiji as I'm assuming you do in Honduras (I haven't been to Honduras) on cruises and holidays in the South Pacific around Australia. Places like the Soloman Islands and other Melanesians & Polynesian Islands have it less so. Fiji was just... so much worse. Security outfits. 12 foot walls. Not being permitted to leave the hotel complex. The illusion you're sold is so much different to the one you see from the hotel. And the disparity between what you're purchasing and what the locals live I found I couldn't escape. I really couldn't or want to go to ever again. And if I do I want to make sure more of my money go to those that need it.
  - dawg- 6y ago
    Mass tourism creates mostly shit jobs, and people have to commodify their cultural heritage to get them. Cruise ship companies and hospitality executives get rich, and the government might get lots of tax revenue. But we need to stop pretending like tourism is an unqualified positive for poor countries.
david38 6y ago
I’m from Honduras. It’s a dangerous place. Roatan is safer though. Foreign investment I suspect keeps it that way.

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warent 6y ago

Them having a tourist economy is probably still better than the alternative. As long as you're mindful that you're in an experience that was crafted for you, I don't see a problem with it. Ignorance is not required or necessary to appreciate a paradise experience.

LilBytes 6y ago
I very much doubt that money trickles down to the local community that needs it in any measurable way. Trickle down economics doesn't work in Western Countries, in third world countries, this would be demonstrably worse. You see the exact same in Fiji as I'm assuming you do in Honduras (I haven't been to Honduras) on cruises and holidays in the South Pacific around Australia. Places like the Soloman Islands and other Melanesians & Polynesian Islands have it less so. Fiji was just... so much worse. Security outfits. 12 foot walls. Not being permitted to leave the hotel complex. The illusion you're sold is so much different to the one you see from the hotel. And the disparity between what you're purchasing and what the locals live I found I couldn't escape. I really couldn't or want to go to ever again. And if I do I want to make sure more of my money go to those that need it.
- dawg- 6y ago
  Mass tourism creates mostly shit jobs, and people have to commodify their cultural heritage to get them. Cruise ship companies and hospitality executives get rich, and the government might get lots of tax revenue. But we need to stop pretending like tourism is an unqualified positive for poor countries.

david38 6y ago

I’m from Honduras. It’s a dangerous place. Roatan is safer though. Foreign investment I suspect keeps it that way.