CATEGORY:TOURISM
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By Wallace J.A (Inside Grenada correspondent)


ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada - A move by the United States Congress to amend the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) which mandates American nationals returning home by air from the Caribbean to be in possession of an official US passport, can spell disaster for Caribbean countries, many of whom have economies that are heavily dependent on tourism. The Spice Isle, Grenada, is one such country. This legislative amendment is expected to become effective from January 2007.

Since the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers on 9/11, and the US subsequent open declaration of war against international terrorism, a number of drastic and far-reaching policy adjustments (both locally and internationally) have been adopted by the US to safeguard the country and its people against another terrorist attack.

While there is a lot of heated debate in political circles within the US as to the effectiveness of the ‘protective measures’ that are being implemented and the ‘success’ of the Bush administration’s war against global terrorism, there is a feeling within the Caribbean that the US is making things agonizingly difficult for the countries of the region.

Already, changes in US immigration laws have made it difficult for Caribbean nationals to travel and work within the United States with the freedom that they once enjoyed. Many persons who could not have found jobs within the region could have migrated to the US, and even though many of them would have ended up as ‘illegal aliens’, they could have found employment there and subsequently send money and other material paraphernalia to their needy families back home in the Caribbean (once they were not caught by US immigration officials).

The new US immigration laws have made it a legal offence for persons to hire illegal aliens to work for them. As a result of this, many US-based Caribbean nationals find it hard to get work to take care of their families back here in the region. This, by extrapolation, is having far-reaching socio-economic repercussions on the countries of the region, heaping more hardships on the frail backs of the peoples of the region.

Americans traveling to the Caribbean by air have been bringing billions of dollars of foreign exchange to the economies of the region, much more that the cruise ship industry does. The amendment to the WHTI would now mean that many Americans might choose to travel to other destinations and this would literally spell ruin for the vital tourism sector in the Caribbean.

A prominent Caribbean politician recently stated that the US seems to be neglecting the region as it focuses its attention on other areas of the world (like Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, North Korea and other countries in that part of the world) as it fights its ‘war on terror’. Without the much needed US support, the region can become seriously destabilized.The Caribbean and the US have enjoyed very cordial and fraternal relations for hundreds of years.

Some people, however, seem to see a more sinister motive behind the US recent policies with respect to the Caribbean. Some are of the opinion that Caribbean countries are been ‘penalized’ for ‘cuddling up’ with Fidel Castro of Cuba and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, two leaders that do not see eye to eye with the United States. Only recently, Venezuela’s president referred to US President George Bush as ‘the Devil’ while addressing delegates at the United Nations.

Additionally, CARICOM leaders seem to be gravitating towards throwing their support behind Venezuela for a non-permanent UN Security Council seat, much to the chagrin of the United States. The US favors Guatemala for that same position.

Whatever the real reasons behind these changing policies are, one thing is certain: the social and economic fabrics of the region are being severely battered. Our political leaders in the region need to really rise to the occasion and seek to address this growing concern.