dreadlocks previously said:

the Samana Bay is well known for, at least, one thing...whale watching. every year, scores of people flock to watch the migration of these majestic creatures. however, Samana is mired in one of the lowest return rates in all the caribbean region, a paltry 18%. that number is not awe inspiring, as countries like Barbados have numbers in excess of 40%. well, whale watching is a once in a lifetime thing. seen it once, you have seen it. you will be blown away at the spectacle, but it is not something you need to see every year. so, basically, for the rest of the tourism cycle, Samana is dormant. even the cruise ship business is nothing to jump about, since the average expenditure per passenger in that port is reportedly 99 dollars per day.
well, it is not news that the DR has to look for tourists other than Euros and North Americans. the economics malaise hits them, too. we have heard that the South Americans are coming, in droves. not a chance. let us get real, here. a massive portion of visitors to these shores come here for the ladies. just like the guys who go to Thailand. well, if i live on the South American continent, and i feel the urge to merge, why would i go all the way to the Dominican Republic, when i can meet more women in the HELP disco in Rio in one night, than i can meet in Santo Domingo in a year? besides, i would rather save my money for carnival in Brazil. which brings me to somethig that crossed my mind. this country has never seemed to have any interest in black people, or institutions. as a result, black people have no interest in it. the fact that there are very few black faces in the tourist hordes is a reflection of outreach. the entire society has a Eurocentric outlook, and it shows. well, african americans do travel. they are also very conscious of ancestry, forebears, and history. their unique history makes them very interested in those who came before them, and what happened to them. that accounts for all those people who go to Africa to see the ¨motherland¨. what better opportunity for a tourist outpost than Samana. there are over 8000 people living there who trace their roots to places like Kentucky. Frederick Douglass visited the area, and spoke there, from a podium. i went there, and met several people with surnames like Smith, Brown, Jones. there is that wonderful old Methodist church there, in all its glory. how about some attempt and effort to market this reality to current day african americans? how about some publicity, and outreach? i can see it now. bed and breakfast hotels, no gigantic all inclusives. a couple of soul food restaurants could come along. some folks would make friends, and, who knows, they could arrange to meet every year, same time, same place, for annual reunions. the opportunity is there. what do you readers think?

dreadlocks previously said:

i can see it now. bed and breakfast hotels, no gigantic all inclusives. a couple of soul food restaurants could come along. some folks would make friends, and, who knows, they could arrange to meet every year, same time, same place, for annual reunions. the opportunity is there. what do you readers think?

dreadlocks previously said:

anthonyc says

Then there is the issue of who is going to finance the needed "Afro-Centric" infrastructure.

can you tell me what afrocentic infrastructure means?

ricardolito, the theme is not race..it is history. the common thread is not that we would be appealing to people of the same color, but with the same historical aspect.