For the first time ever, I stayed at an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica recently for a family “destination” wedding. We ate fabulous food, swam in the salty warm ocean and were filled up with laughter and love. The week was filled with unforgettable memories.
Beautiful Wedding
As the wedding couple exchanged heartfelt vows in a stunning gazebo with the ocean sparkling behind them, time seemed to stand still and love, truly, was all around.
Despite the deep joy I felt being with my family and part of the wedding, my experience had some challenges. I found myself grappling with difficult questions about the human and environmental costs of the seemingly limitless luxury surrounding us.
The Resort
One of the first things that had struck me about the resort when we arrived was its sheer scale with 850 rooms, about 3000 guests each week, and nearly 2000 staff – it looked like all Black Jamaicans, who worked tirelessly to ensure that no request was unmet, whether it was scooping ice cream for kids, fixing a leak or more shampoo.
Working Conditions of the Staff
But as I learned more about their working conditions, my sense of unease grew. Staff were contracted to work 12-hour days, six days a week and earned just $15 (US) per day. But the staff had been promised an increase of 13% but when this didn’t show up, they went on strike on the fifth day of our stay.
As you can imagine, I was conflicted: lounging by the pool sipping a mocktail while the people who made my vacation possible were fighting for a fair wage. The illusion of paradise cracked.
Can we, as responsible global citizens, continue to enjoy these kinds of experiences?
Yet Jamaica needs tourism because about 68% of their workforce is employed in service industries. All-inclusive luxury resorts draw millions of visitors to the island each year but there are significant inequities. For example, with 493 miles of coastline, less than three miles are available for public use.
Plus, the environmental costs of these kinds of get-aways – complete with sprawling pools, endless buffets, and lavish landscaping – use significant resources for the benefit of the few while local communities often bear the brunt of water shortages, rolling power outages, and waste disposal.
Those of us concerned about these ethical dilemmas are not alone. Writer Ximena Gonzalez from The Tyee (Dec 17, 2024) recently wrote When Tourism Dreams Depend on Unjust Employment where she explores this same contradiction in Alberta, where the government wants to double its tourism trade.
Don’t get me wrong
Don’t get me wrong: I loved the wedding and enjoyed the resort tremendously. But I saw how our stay was contributing to a system that exploited workers and depleted natural resources for the comfort of foreign tourists. While I haven’t landed on any firm answers to these concerns, I learned a few important lessons.
Lessons Learned
First, I want to continue to acknowledge the many benefits for me as a Canadian; and I will authentically appreciate my ability, financially and physically, to attend a destination wedding with my family.
Second, as travellers, I believe we have a responsibility to engage with the people and places we visit in as many ways as possible. Supporting local businesses, advocating for workers’ rights, and choosing accommodations with ethical practices can make a difference.
Finally, as a life coach, self-reflection and integrity is part of my practice. And while it’s tempting to disengage from the complexities of these situations, I think it’s better for me to sit with the discomfort I feel. Guilt doesn’t solve anything, but it can prompt reflection and action. For me, that means researching how I can contribute to organizations that fight for fair wages and environmental preservation.
Commitment to love and justice
These moments carry a stronger weight of awareness now. On our way home, as I hugged my family goodbye at the hectic airport, all of us flying to different locations around the world, I resolved to be a more thoughtful traveller – someone who not only appreciates the beauty of a place but also strives to respect its people and environment.
This amazing and beautiful celebration of love left me – and many others on our trip – with a deeper commitment to justice, both for the people who made my trip possible and for the planet itself.
As the philosopher and political activist Cornel West said, “Justice is what love looks like.”
