Up front declaration of interest – I work for a company that rents villas in Jamaica. But I am using my private email address. This is not about our business.<BR><BR>I would just like to bring to readers’ attention a little publicized difference between all-inclusive resorts and private villas. Travellers will inevitably have their own preferences for one style or the other, and that is as it should be. <BR><BR>I believe in what some folk call “responsible” tourism. I would like to feel that my visit to another land made some kind of difference, either because I befriended some local people who are left with a good impression of my own nation or simply because the money I spent during my stay had some effect, no matter how minor, on the local economy.<BR><BR>The money that flows into a country through all-inclusive resorts flows, almost immediately, straight out again to some offshore haven where the resort owner can be assured of his/her money’s safety. It is their right so to do. But it also means very little money “sticks” to the (often poor) local economy.<BR><BR>Money spent on villa rentals is much more likely to stay in the economy. Speaking for Jamaica, many of villa owners live on the island and the rental money they receive flows through the banking system, improving the island’s cash flow. Food is always bought in local markets, not brought in on giant containers from Florida, as the AI’s do. <BR><BR>At a time when globalisation has a bad name, this at least is one way in which the “First” World can ensure that money spent in the Third World can have a positive impact.<BR><BR>Thank you.<BR><BR>Nick <BR>

Nick,<BR>Well said! It seems AIs are most attractive on the islands with the most severe economic problems, which tends to further compound the problem. The AI offers a more insulated and controlled environment, which attracts visitors who would otherwise be concerned about security. But by supporting the AI, the problems of the island actually get worse, not better.<BR><BR>For me, the most positive aspect of staying in a villa (or a small locally owned and operated hotel) is the traveler will have much more opportunity to experience the true beauty of their chosen destination. Personal interactions between visitors and hosts are much easier outside of an AI environment. It seems more "real".<BR><BR>My impression of an AI is a bit more like vacationing on a movie set. It's all very nice, very enjoyable, but also a more controlled environment. You lose the serendipity<BR><BR>Personally, I enjoy the unexpected things that come with the villa vacation. But I can see where AIs certainly have a place in the market. For the vacationer who really wants to just decompress from a stressful job, etc., AIs offer the ability to enjoy a vacation where the biggest decision you have to make is which cocktail to order with dinner. <BR><BR>I enjoy a more adventurous trip, so I choose to stay in villas, apartments, or small hotels. They have a genuine island feel to them, and I meet more island residents this way. The people I meet are the most memorable aspects of my travels, so I try to maximize opportunities to make new friends.<BR><BR>Glad you posted...you stated the economic realities very well!

When I rented my last villa is was from a couple from the states. All the villas I looked iat on Jamica were also owned by people in the states. Now if I rent a villa where is the money spent which I used to pay for the villa? I also brought my own food cause I knew the island prices were high, so we did not eat out much. So this was less $$ for the local economy.<BR><BR>The AI employs people from the islands not from other places. If we all rented villas there would be fewer jobs for the locals. These are the people that really support the local economy as well as their families.

Dear Hmmm...<BR>You raise an interesting point about foreigners owning and renting island villas, but every American I know who actually owns island real estate, pays someone to look after the property. They pay someone locally, as they live still in the US.<BR><BR>So, there is one or more of the following local people involved: a real estate management company, groundskeeper, maid, and building maintenance person. There also could be a cook, chauffer, security person, etc. involved, depending upon the size and type of property.<BR><BR>An AI hotel may hire hundreds of people where one villa mare hire only a few, but the ratio of staff to guests in an AI does not equal the same ratio of that in a private villa. <BR><BR>AIs hire many people, but not always locally. The Sandals owner "Butch" flies staff on Air Jamaica to Sandals resorts on other islands with higher local pay scales. I don't think that practice helps locals, does it? They live on an island with a new Sandals, but can't get the jobs because staff is flown in? Not a "local-friendly" practice at all!<BR><BR>Sorry to hear you brought your own food on your villa trip. I think it's a fun experience to shop locally. And the prices aren't THAT much higher. My goodness, if your budget is THAT extremely tight, maybe you shouldn't go. Or perhaps you should look at traveling off-season or staying somewhere less expensive.<BR><BR>I DO think AIs have a place in the market. Obviously they have a place or they would not be attracting the numbers that visit. But they are growing in popularity, to the demise of other establishments. For people who like them...OK...more room for me at my chosen spots. I just hope that the ripple doesn't include the closure of my favorite small hotels and restaurants that rely on visitors getting outside the AI gates for business. Also, an AI vacation may be convenient to price, but it is NOT inexpensive. I've usually done better "pricewise" by putting together my own trip. But the down side to that is I spend a lot of time researching where to go, where to stay, airfares, etc. Most people I know aren't willing to spend the time doing that, and I don't blame them. It get tedious sometimes, although I love the thrill of my "off the beaten track finds".<BR><BR>I would rather support LOTS of businesses when I travel and spread the cash around, rather than send one check to a large corporation to "distribute" according to their corporate policy. Maybe they spend my money locally, and maybe they don't. <BR><BR>I think there's room for everyone. But you have to admit, most establishments can't afford the mega-advertising that the huge AIs budget, and there has been a dramatic shift in the balance of travel dollars being spent since the entrance of AIs into the market. Those shifting dollars affect the non-AI traveler as well.<BR><BR>

While I may agree with the previous comments made and the responses that followed, I guess what strikes me as interesting is this "similarity":<BR><BR>The question of AI's vs smaller establishments is almost parallel to the "big box" store vs small businesses. I would wonder if the people who go on vacation, renting villas, shopping locally, etc, bought their travel goods at a big box store? The story is the same. Who are you supporting? You only need to look at the growth (Walmart is now the largest retailer in the WORLD) of the big box stores, and the decline of small business to realize that the same mentalitly prevails at home, not just when travelling. But I wonder if those who are so inclined in their travels do the same at home? Frequent smaller businesses, that is. One stop shopping is very similar to one stop vacations.<BR>Just my thoughts, not intended to inflame.

I totally love AI's and wouldn't do it any other way (having done both), no matter what the economic condition of an island is, or no matter how beautiful or safe it is.

Dear Thinking,<BR>Astute observation...Yes, it's the same phenomenon, with the same result. <BR><BR>One consideration, whether it's big box retail or big box travel...the ripple effect of a big boulder in the marketplace pond. The good aspects ripples are larger than those created by a small business, but so are the negatives. <BR><BR>How many small towns have lost their local pharmacy and "general" store and small apparel stores when the big-box moved in. Yes, people in the town got jobs at the Wal-mart, Target, etc. But independent shop owners lost their businesses. And the customer whose loyalty was with the small entreprenuer lost their favorite store. That's exactly what I don't want to see, in any industry. Retail, travel, insurance, banking...hey, competition is GOOD!<BR><BR>Dear Mary,<BR>No one is trying to threaten your choice to go strictly AI. It's your choice. I just hope that we ALL continue to have choices available to us. My fear is that the large ripples created by mega-resorts will "swamp" the smaller establishments that I prefer. I'm not concerned that YOU have made the right choice for YOU. That's what is great about a free marketplace. But I AM concerned that my choices are more limited, and growing smaller every time Sandals opens a new resort.<BR><BR>Just realize that although AI is definitely for you...it is just as definitely NOT for everybody. But advertising budgets alone will attract more people who haven't yet had the opportunity to try both and decide for themselves. And guess whose advertising budget gets more attention? People may at some point not have many choices beyond the mega-resort, because mega-resort/mega-retail caused the closure of little hotel/mom & pop drug store.<BR><BR>I'm just trying to plant the seed of an idea in the heads of people who maybe don't feel as strongly as you do about AI. No threat intended, sorry if I offended.

Well, I am all over the map on this issue. Let me explain my own experience, as limited as it may be.<BR><BR>Never thought I would do an AI. Always travelled staying in hotels, condos, eating at restaurants etc. All for personal, selfish reasons: wanted variety of food, luxury accommodations! We like good food, didnt think it could be had at an AI.<BR><BR>Got talked into a trip to the DR, (I know) against my better judgement, but we went anyway, and AI it had to be, no where to go off the resort. <BR>Thought a bit about this aspect, again, selfish thoughts: I work hard for my money, dont want to see poverty staring me in the face everywhere I look, making me "feel" guilty about being able to afford this type of luxury, "my" vacation was to relax, not ponder and worry about someone else's lot in life, etc. So we went. Sure, good pool, decent rooms, mediocre food, a week of blissful relaxtion. Nothing else to do or see really. Just what I needed. But then you look around, see all these people working crazy hours, grateful to have a job at the resort, housed in pratically "concentration" camps, (just my embellished opinion!), and thought to myself: who am I really helping here? The 12 wealthy owners from foreign lands that arrived to be treated as the Lords of the Manor? The price was not cheap, this wasnt one of those 1k deals here, and the staff are making peanuts. What I spent on this vacation these people dont make in years, and that made me feel worse. Whats a $100 tip to me really? To the waiter its more than he makes in a month. So guilt wound up getting me anyway. Thats my experience with an AI. And I admit, its my "philsopher" perspective, nothing to do with the "quality" of an AI, cost effectiveness, etc. <BR>I know that I will continue to rent hotel rooms and villas (all probably owned by foreigners), but I will also continue to eat locally, shop locally, and "hope" that I am contributing somehow to not just one corporations bottom line.<BR>I believe that "choice" is crucial and back to my and others' previous posts: if we only go with the "big guys", we may one day have no choices left, and I for one, think there is more to be said for the "little guy" than the "big guy" when it comes to business.<BR>Again, just my thoughts.

This is an interesting and thought-provoking thread. I think the original post was about AIs versus villas, thus leaving out, I believe, what the vast majority of travelers to the islands experience, which is traditional hotels (whether small or large). Some of the subseqent posts seem to have mixed this in with the original choices.<BR><BR>In any case, I think it's wonderful that at least a few of us are thinking about the implications of where and how we stay and eat when visiting. I'm not looking to settle anything here - all sides here have pros and cons. I suspect that for most of us, though, even if we THINK about these issues it probably doesn't change what we do very often. (And in case someone wants to know - I would personally never go to an AI resort, prefer renting villas in the US and Canada, but also prefer to stay in traditional small hotels in the Caribbean).

Dear Thinking,<BR>Bless you...my thoughts exactly. I also would rather support the little guy than the big corporation.<BR><BR>Dear Kris,<BR>You're right, Nick's post WAS about villas, and I lumped in small hotels. I guess I'm also lumping in restaurants and small stores, even taxi-drivers and rental car agencies are affected by the AI structure. So my apologies to Nick if I steered his post off-course.<BR><BR>I'm grateful just to know I'm not the only traveler out there who steers clear of the AI. Just that knowledge that there are lots of us left gives me hope that we will continue to have choices for our travels.<BR><BR>Best regards to all Caribbean visitors!

I, too, very much prefer private villas, local hotels, and such. And, we always eat at the local restaurants or shop the local markets when travelling. <BR><BR>However, I had not considered the "BIG GUY/little guy" point of view. I had only avoided the AI because of the "Disney Land" feel most AIs portray. Not to mention the bland food, large crowds, and lack of local character.<BR><BR>Thank you, Nick, (and "I Agree") for making these points.

This discussion reminds me of "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs" we all learned in high school. Remember? First comes physical needs (hunger and cold) then safety, then emotional needs, then ego (self respect) then giving to others. I'm paraphrasing, but I think travel is like that. At the beginning, we travelers just want a place to relax. And a good deal. Then we look for luxury, as we are able to afford more. Then we start to look at the place itself, beginning to be comfortable with people from different cultures, observing the small differences from island to island. Finally we start to bring gifts with us for the people who work on the islands, perhaps corresponding with some. We realize we DO have an effect, even if it's a tiny ripple. <BR>So I don't think we should be patting ourselves on the back quite so much - although I'd like to! I don't know anybody who rented a villa from the time of their first vacation - you have to kind of evolve into that mindset.<BR><BR>By the way, I agree with Hmmmm. The villas I've rented in the Caribbean (none in Jamaica) were owned by Americans and Germans. And I brought some food with me, food that was unavailable or not of the same quality, and added my local purchases to the menu (I think this is what Hmmmm was implying). And maybe the staff ratio is similar, as most (small or medium sized) villa staff work at several properties. I'd love to see real numbers on that.<BR>

I think a lot of people prefer resorts for their amenities that villas don't have. Do villas come with gyms, children's organized activites, activities coordinator, etc. Most people want to go away and not worry. Also, hotels are known entities and there is a manager and staff to resolve issues while at a villa you are at the mercy of the villa owner (who usually does not live there). With a hotel you just call your travel agent and they book the hotel, room cateogry you want, air and transfers...a no fuss vacation. Also, safety is an issue and villas are more isolated.

Another thought - not everyone can afford to rent a villa, while they can still afford the price of a bargain on an AI. I personally would love to rent a villa - we have looked into it more than once - but the cost was prohibitive.<BR><BR>I guess the bottom line is that if you can afford to make the choice, then you are already more fortunate than alot of people in the world. If you tehn choose to spend your money in a fashion which benefits the economy of an underprivileged country - and the most poeple while doing it, then you are doubly lucky.

Well, I have to disagree with Jenn - generally a villa vacation is much cheaper than any of the AIs that I've seen advertised. You're not looking in the right places for villas! (But I still wouldn't go to an AI for the same reasons as Vickie - crowds, mediocre food and no local character).

I agree: I was only stating my opinion, nothing more, but you've made me think. I too would much rather support the "little" guy as I've come to despise most big corporation (guess it's obvious I'm a democrat). Unfortunately, our pocketbook welcomes all-inclusives since we tend to get a much better deal when all is said and done, and we just like them better for other reasons as well. I don't like the fact that the workers earn such a small wage while the CEO's are raking in a fortune. It would be extremely unfortunate to lose the "mom and pop" (for lack of a better term) establishments and I can understand why many people prefer them. Now I'm in sort of a dilemna.

I'm not an AI fan myself, but I'm interested in trying one some day. <BR>I am a small hotel/inn customer and a villa renter. Early on, my wife an I sought out small, out of the way places to vacation in the islands. SOme no longer exist, some do but under new names and ownership. How many people remember Shibui in St. Thomas, Queen's Quarter in St. Croix, or Mary's Boon in St. Martin? We were at Galley Bay when Edie Holcomb was still in charge, and Rawlin's Pantation when Phillip and Frances Walwyn still owned it.<BR>I've done villas in Jamaica, which were owned, admittedly, by an American. However the villa's were managed by a Jamaican company, the staff is Jamaican, and 98% of the food we ate was purchased locally. We do bring a few little things which cost a lot more (duties, tariffs, etc.) when purchased in Jamaica: tuna fish, snack foods, etc.<BR>We (my wife and I and another couple) rented a 4 bedroom villa at a reduced rate for just 2 couples, and the cost was very attractive. $1400 per couple (would have been about $1000 per couple if we'd had 4 couples) plus about $350 for food and beverage (total, not per couple). Another $150 per couple in tips (we had a staff of 4 -- cook, maid, laundress and gardener -- other places may have smaller staff, so lower tip cost, but that's such a small issue as to be almost insignificant in the overall cost).<BR>Every meal was a delight and an adventure in taste, texture, and enjoyment. We set the menu in discussion with the cook, told her our likes and dislikes, she told us of her specialities, and we agreed on some basic framework for the menus. We may not have eaten like a family from Mandeville, but we were pretty close to core Jamaican cuisine, and it was wonderful. We got to know the folks with whom we were spending nearly 8 hours a day very well during our stay, and picked up like old friends when we came back the next year, seeing pictures of children, hearing stories of the triumphs and tragedies of their lives over the past year. You couldn't duplicate that in an AI.<BR>And no towel remained wet for more than 15 minutes. Every time we left our room, our maid would zip in to clean and straighten, replace towels, pick up laundry, dust, wipe, and make everything spotless. <BR>Butch Stewart, whose Sandals chain almost singlehandedly pulled Jamaica from the brink of its foreign exchange crisis several years ago pumps almost all of the money tourists pay for Sandals and Air Jamaica/Sandals package vacations right back into the Jamaican economy. He is a hero to that country.<BR>I can't comment on the ownership or the repatriation of funds habits of the AIs in DomRep or elsewhere.<BR>The one thing I will say about the Wal-Mart allusions cited in earlier posts is that Wal-Mart hires a lot of people in the community where the store is located, and it sells at low prices which allow low income people an opportunity that mom-and-pops may not be able to, price-wise. I agree, some mom-and-pop stores may (will) go out of business as a result. But when the Wal-mart came to your community, how long was it before you started going where the price was best?<BR>While a mom-and-pop hotel/inn/B&B can probably offer a relaxing, quiet, maybe in even luxurious vacation, it's doubtful it can offer the range of experiences an AI can. For me, however, that mom-and-pop experience is what I crave. And I'm not alone in that, which makes me feel that there will always be wonderful small places for small place fans to enjoy, and there will always be the bigger AIs for the AI fans to enjoy.<BR>I doubt I've added value to this discussion, but I felt compelled to share a viewpoint.<BR>If you've read this far, thanks for taking the time to listen.<BR>

If you are talking only of Jamaica, then sure most people will go to AI as they seek safety on vacation. If you are talking other Islands with no safety issues, then people might try villas.

I won't step foot in a Wal-Mart. There<BR>business philosophy is to run everyone<BR>else out of business! No competition is<BR>bad for everyone. Back to travel, I definetly prefer villas. It would be<BR>interesting to hear different island locals<BR>points of view. I would think any tourism is good for the local economy.

Lynn, do you have any mutual funds? Then you are most likely part owner of a Wal Mart. Everybody loves to hate "big corporations" --- but we forget that they are owned by lots and lots of individuals - even Democrats!