Jamaica tourism continues to be hit by harassment
Jamaican tourism minister Dr Wykeham McNeill has again called for an end to the harassment of cruise visitors, which he says is hurting small businesses.
Dr McNeill says cruise passengers are staying aboard due to the perception of harassment ashore at Falmouth and Ocho Rios.
"When you talk to visitors, they say when they walk out they feel harassed. What does harassment do? It stops the 1,000 people that would come off the cruise ship from doing so. It stops the benefits," he said.
Dr McNeill acknowledges a small minority are responsible but it has a huge impact on the tourism industry.
"The big businesses can organise the buses and move them in an organized fashion, but for the person walking off the ship, we have got to deal with that," the minister said, adding that the aim is to ensure economic benefits of more shore visits trickle down to local businesses.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Marginal increase for New York City tourism in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments