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Industry (Rowley)
Study Questions
Week 8
Tourism and Travel
What terms do Flinn, Stephenson, and your fellow students use to describe
the travel experience? Do they have evident beliefs or biases? Do you
agree with their conclusions? Are they seeing “tourism” as positive or
negative?
What are the differences between tourists and travelers?
Consider travel in 21st century context. What is changing the experience
of travel today? What are the benefits of travel, to both the traveler and the
place visited?
Jamaica Kincaid
Born Elaine Potter Richardson in St. John’s, Antigua, 1949.
Was sent by her mother to the United States age 17 to be an au pair.
“Discovered” by an influential magazine editor.
Antigua
Antigua is the larger of the two islands that comprise the
independent state of Antigua and Barbuda, located in the
Lesser Antillies in the eastern Caribbean Sea. A
constitutional monarchy with two legislative houses
Total population: approximately 86,000, of which over
90% is racially categorized black or mulatto, 1.7%
Caucasian/white. “Antigua” is Spanish for “Ancient”
In what ways is Antigua “a small place”? Does it matter
that the island is geographically small?
Post-colonialism and Neocolonialism
Post-colonialism: literary and intellectual reaction to the cultural legacy of colonialism, mostly
from the viewpoint of the formerly subjugated nation/culture, often with a quest to move the
world beyond the colonial mindset.
Neocolonialism: theory that past or current colonial relationships persist to allow developed
nations to dominate developing nations economically, culturally, linguistically
How does the point of view of Kincaid’s text in each section reflect, articulate, or otherwise
assert these ideas?
Tourism as Big Business
Global and regional economic impact data varies, but sources such as the United Nations’ World
Tourism Organization and the World Travel and Tourism Council posit that the business volume
of tourism comprises 6-11% of global GDP ($3-6 trillion) and 6-8% of overall number of jobs
worldwide (direct and indirect).
One could define many types of tourism: “mass,” “niche” and “alternative” – what’s the
difference?
What does Antigua have to gain from tourism? What does Kincaid have to say about this?