Tony Becca

When the respective governments, urged on by the West Indies Cricket Board, made their successful bid some nine years ago to host the 2007 World Cup of cricket, I am positive that although they were looking at the tourist dollar, during the tournament and for years to come, they never envisioned all the problems that were in store.

Instead of simply helping the board to host a cricket tournament, instead of just putting out the money to build some stadiums and to renovate those that were around, instead of ensuring that the board provides good pitches and outfields, instead of making sure that the board motivates the people to attend the matches, and instead of ensuring that the board prepares a team to win the tournament, the governments have found themselves in the position where, among other things and especially here in Jamaica, they are expected, almost so, to build new towns, new cities, and in cases even new countries.

tourists

In Jamaica, for example, a multitude of tourists are expected in the island for the tournament, and because of that, in an effort to tempt them to come again, and with family and friends at that, the government, in its effort to make them comfortable, promised all sorts of improvements in almost every area of the country's life.

The result was not only that the highway road programme would be speeded up, but also that roads, and especially so in the city, would be repaired, that, among other things, certain hospitals would be renovated and provided with necessary equipment, security would be tightened and therefore improved, that areas of entertainment would be scattered around the island, that public transportation would be improved, and that there would have been a general beautification of the island.

The idea was that this country with roads filled with potholes, this country whose hospitals for so long has been short of vital equipment and ambulances, this country which has become so violent, this country in which commuters pack like sardines in vans and cars every day, and this country which is so dirty that it smells would suddenly become a nice, comfortable and beautiful place.

Although there is doubt that a lot of which was promised will be delivered, in some respects, Jamaica won't be the same after March, and because of that, thank God for World Cup cricket.

one problem

There is one problem, however.

Although they have not said why, or how the countries were selected, the governments have decided that the nationals of some countries must have a visa - the single CARICOM visa - to enter the region between February 1 and May 15, the cost of the visa is US$100, some of those countries are so upset that they are threatening to stay away, and there is a difference in opinion as to the effect that would have on the country's tourism.

According to Aloun Assamba, Minister of Tourism, Entertainment and Culture, that would be no big thing - for the simple reason that only about five per cent of the country's visitors come from the affected countries.

She also said that she knows not of people cancelling their trip.

breakthrough

Not so, however, says Horace Peterkin. According to the president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, not only have people been cancelling their trips but also those countries which are disturbed and threaten to stay away represent enough to affect Jamaica's tourism - and especially so as after many attempts, Jamaica has just started to make a break through in some of them.

Apart from a few European countries and Pakistan, the countries affected include Australia and New Zealand, they are the ones who are crying foul the loudest, and when it is remembered that West Indians need a visa to enter both countries, and that Australians can get this visa in Sydney and New Zealanders also in Sydney, when it is remembered that West Indians have to send their passports, along with a fee, to Washington or to Toronto in order to get a visa to visit Australia, one wonders what all the fuss is about.

Is it that they believe West Indians are so poor that we should be happy they are coming to the West Indies, or is it, as some of them have suggested, because they believe we are being mercenary?

Hopefully that is not so. Although they have not said so, hopefully the fuss is because of when they were told that they have to get a visa - because of the short time which they have to do what they have to do.