Unpacked offers a critical, novel perspective on the Caribbean’s now taken-for-granted desirability as a tourist’s paradise. Dreams of a tropical vacation have become a quintessential aspect of the modern Caribbean, as millions of tourists travel to the region and spend extravagantly to pursue vacation fantasies . At the beginning of the twentieth century, however, travelers from North America and Europe thought of the Caribbean as diseased, dangerous, and, according to many observers, ‘the white man’s graveyard.’ How then did a trip to the Caribbean become a supposedly fun and safe experience?
Unpacked examines the historical roots of the region’s tourism industry by following a well-traveled sea route linking the US East Coast with the island of Cuba and the Isthmus of Panama. Blake C. Scott describes how the cultural and material history of US imperialism became the heart of modern Caribbean tourism. In addition, he explores how advances in tropical medicine, perceptions of the tropical environment, and development of infrastructure and transportation networks opened a new playground for visitors.
Table of Content
Introduction: Growing Up in Florida’s Vacationland
1. Empire’s Lake: Tourism in the Wake of US Expansion
2. Service Sector Republics: Transnational Development in Panama and Cuba
3. Changing Routes from Sea to Air: The Rise of Pan American World Airways
4. The Nature of Tourism: Naturalist Explorers as Scientific Guides
5. Traveling Writers: Literary Dreams of Tropical Escape
6. Burning Privilege: Luxury in the Age of Decolonization
Conclusion: Perilously Cruising into the Future
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Blake C. Scott is an historian and Assistant Professor of International Studies at the College of Charleston.
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