"But we were here first:" Mass tourism development and contestation over space in coastal Jamaica

Sa？etak Tourism is celebrated as an economic fortress in many countries of the Global South. In Jamaica is one such country and also one in which tourism spaces have been growing rapidly along coastline. Yet, little heed is being given to the displacements that the industry has brought to the fisherfolk and residents who depend on the coastline for their livelihoods and recreational activities. Tourism spaces and activities are concentrated especially along the north coast of island which has been the site of the mushrooming of mega hotels and cruise piers over the past two decades. Using the host communities of the largest cruise pier development and the largest hotel as case studies- Falmouth and Lucea- I explain how mass tourism triggers contestation over marine spaces. The discussion is centered on the ways in which the decision-making behind tourism development favours private interests vis-à-vis the public's, yielding such conflicts. This study is part of a larger study and was done within a qualitative framework involving interviews, observations and photography as the primary methods of data collection. Detailed understanding of the sudden onset of large-scale tourism on small, coastal towns, has serious implications for tourism planning and policy-making within destinations of the Global South