Violence, which some believe has become a way of life for this nation of 2.5 million, claimed 848 lives in 1999. And crimes against tourists, ranging from robberies to possible foul play in Kirschhoch's disappearance, have honed Jamaica's reputation as a dangerous place. On an island of extremes, opinions run hot and cold but never lukewarm. Of all the Caribbean islands, there are few as scenically and culturally rich as Jamaica. But while tourist arrivals have increased steadily over the past decade, stays are shorter than at any time since 1987.
Travel agents say the island offers good value and myriad options, but it can be a hard sell.
I like Jamaica, and I always give clients the option. And pretty soon, a wallet lifted from the beach grows into a story about a tourist being chased with a machete. Tourism is a billion-dollar industry that supplies more than half the nation's gross foreign exchange earnings. More than 1.2 million tourists vacationed in Jamaica last year, and 800,000 others visited via cruise ships. A Ritz-Carlton hotel, in a conspicuous show of confidence, opens today near Montego Bay.