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Audrey Lynch (right) explaining her work at the Wanderer
The process I've embarked on to establish a tour company has thankfully received a great deal of support and that has helped to make this a lovely experience. Just as wonderful have been the little thrills I've received each time I've discovered new information that I can incorporate in our tours; information which will make them unforgettable and worthwhile experiences. This has raised a question in my mind: what is the value of a cultural tour? Jamaica is a destination that is well-known for its physical beauty; why shouldn't that be enough to satisfy our visitors? In answer to that question, I've come up with five reasons I believe you should take a cultural tour. Tell us if you agree or not.

New Yorkers don't visit the Statue of Liberty

I have ceased to be amazed at the joy experienced by Jamaicans when I share a nugget of information they previously did not know about our capital city. Typically it's  about a place they pass frequently but never wondered about before. Usually, the comments start out with "Oh, really?" and end "Wow, I did not know that". The fact is, oftentimes we are so busy in our day to day lives we don't stop to note the history of a building or a painting until someone points it out. Then it's pure pleasure in the knowing. For me, it's pure pleasure in the sharing :) As Jamaicans, we all could stand to know more about our country and its heritage. It's not good enough that we live here yet there are yet don't know all we can about our country.

Remember the Paul Simon song?

Going to a foreign country without understanding the culture is like waking up after being shuttled to a new planet in outer space . The people may look the same but you won't be able to understand why they laugh when you would cry or what the gift they've given you means. To understand the culture is to understand the context. Only then will it make sense and you won't feel like the guy in the Paul Simon song  who "doesn't speak the language, holds no currency, he is a foreign man".

It's fun, silly

This reason is the most obvious of all (though I have to apologise in advance for sounding like a public announcement). It's true that sometimes on vacation we simply need to decompress, sit on the beach, and read a mindless novel. But it's equally true that for most of us, learning something interesting while connecting with another human being is fun. A rush even. Our brain cells start to crackle and there's a feeling of being alive that comes with the new knowledge. On a cultural tour you can meet interesting people, listen to great music, maybe even learn a dance step, eat fantastic food, or even make a new friend. Sound like fun, right? It is.


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Guests speak with Painter (right) on Art Excursion
Reason 4: Think of the stories

Regardless of how much you enjoyed your time spent on the beach, no one is really interested in hearing about that. I'm sorry but it's true. First of all, to be fair, they're likely a little envious especially if you're coming to Jamaica, and second, how much would you care to hear about whether the  nightly buffet was in the main hall of the hotel or by the pool? But, if you go on a cultural tour, everyone will listen to your stories when you talk about walking through authentic communities and chatting it up with citizens.

Reason 5: Believe it or not, you're making a difference

If you stay in an all-inclusive resort you are providing income to the owners of that hotel which they use to pay their expenses, including salaries. In Jamaica it has long been a complaint that a lot of that money doesn't really circulate all that well through the economy. Listen, I'm not against the owners of capital getting a decent return on their investments after taking risks. Some of my best friends are capitalists. But it's nice when artists, dancers, drummers, actors, writers, in general the creative force and the lifeblood of a country, can benefit too. It allows them to continue to create the great works we all benefit from, helps them to make a living. Believe me, the starving artist is not a mere concept, it's a reality. A cultural tour can help.

So the visitor benefits by learning and enjoying himself immensely while the artiste benefits by earning some income and having an audience with which to share her work. Hopefully you find the reasons presented compelling. Either way let us know by leaving a comment or emailing us.

One love!
 


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