I cant answer your Edwin Starr question. But I can tell you what it was like in summer 2003. The island is geared up for tourism, at least on the beaches around the capital. Granted I wasnt there at peak time, but there was obviously plenty of unused hotel capacity - it was eerily quiet. I kept wondering where the tourists were, as we had the beaches etc all to ourself. It seemed like a place trying to invent itself as a quality destination to rake in the dollars - everything was there, but having been to Barbados a few years earlier Grenada seemed about 10 years behind. Dont get me wrong - it was great, everyone was very friendly and helpful, just not so efficient or ruthless at sucking money out of tourists as perhaps other more established places are.
One thing which really nagged at me was that most tourism is centred around the capital - drive out to the north of the island and, whilst the scenery was as interesting, the lack of beach resorts etc meant that we were driving through (seemingly) really poor places. Rough looking wooden shacks and people washing/bathing/drinking from water standpipes at the side of the road. This is the sort of thing that makes me feel awkward as a visitor driving through in my rented jeep. When we were there they were building a deepwater mooring in St Georges to accommodate Caribbean cruise ships - so that rich tourists dont have to get onto a rowing boat to disembark before walking along the jetty, buying tourist-style nutmeg from the 'Spice Island' and returning to their ship having 'done' Grenada. Good luck to them, but I cant see that this can do anything but concentrate the money around the harbour without doing anything for other areas.
I remember the 1983 invasion, but it was before I was old enough to appreciate the politics. Locals dont tell tourists too much about this kind of stuff. What I might feel about it now is irrelevant. But believe me, whatever the past, the place is doing well and worth a visit.
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Topic: 1983 US Granada Invasion Pictures (Read 2223 times)