Close User Name Password
Login Register
Travel alerts straight to your inbox:
 

Tags: / / / /

Is There Trouble in French Paradise?

Where: Martinique
February 16, 2009 at 12:29 PM | by BS | 1 Comment

French vacationers have long treasured the country's utopian overseas departments, where idyllic Carribbean beaches generally outshine any mini-outbreaks of post-colonial conflict. But economic doldrums and long-simmering racial tensions are currently casting some rain clouds over the island paradises of Martinique and Guadeloupe.

In Guadeloupe, 50,000 workers are in the midst of a three-week strike, which while peaceful, has reportedly left hotels and resorts short on gas, food and other necessities. Meanwhile in Martinique, racial sentiments bubbled over after the airing of a TV documentary detailing how the white minority has dominated the island's economy, leading to a nine-day strike and inciting the French to export a riot police brigade to the island.

The situation for tourists on both islands sounds more inconvenient than threatening so far. Any Jaunted readers out there in the French Caribbean? How are the hotels holding up? Do you feel safe? Let us know.

· Price protests paralyze Martinique, Guadeloupe [MSNBC]
· Blacks slam white minority in Martinique strike [IHT]
· Martinique travel coverage [Jaunted]

Photo: [guillaumeo]

1 Comment

Post a Comment

Return to » Is There Trouble in French Paradise?

  1. chicashari

    Jaunted Member

    Strike aftermath in Guadeloupe as an American Xpat

    Hello, I had been staying here in Guadeloupe just before the strikes, and coincidentally took a trip back to the states just before they began. I returned just after they finished. My return was also coincidentally times, but that being said, if the strikes had not ended, I would have changed my flight for sure. The people I know and live with in Guadeloupe were born and raised here, and so in a nutshell, they were able to navigate their way through the smaller woodsy roads to get to various places during the strikes. The main roads had many blocks, and some violence. My friends had rocks and bottles thrown at them as they tried to pass a road block one day. Since the strikes ended, some friends have had to leave Guadeloupe, for different reasons. Many businesses suffered as a result of the strikes, leaving people without work, money, or being forced to shut down their business entirely. One friend had lost his job before the strike, but with the strike, the office which gave him an unemployment check was inaccessible. This type of situation can only go on for so long: no income, no businesses open, and you can't get your unemployment check due to the strikes. He left for France. From what I understand, some cruise ships have taken Guadeloupe off of their list of ports because of the strikes. It's too risky for a business such as this to deliver a boat full of passengers to an island which not only has nothing open, but has a temporary possibility for some violence. Of course, the strikes are over now, and we'll have to see what happens in terms of cruise ships when the season starts up again in the fall. In general, I feel Guadeloupe is a safe island, and hope that people who have never had the chance to visit will not build an image of this place being in the 'strike state' all the time. It's certainly not that way. In my experience, as an American who spoke no French when I arrived, people are generally very kind, very helpful, and very laid back. Only the normal travel intelligence is necessary for a trip here, i.e. don't leave your huge expensive leather purse open on the sand while you go swim in the sea. Normal, I believe.
    August 11, 2009 at 1:49 PM
    #Permalink

Return to » Is There Trouble in French Paradise?

Leave a Comment

Not yet a member? Click here to become a member.

Already a member? Log in below:

Comment with your Facebook account.