FEATURE STORY
Former TravelGolf.com associate editor criticizes story to SATW
Caribbean Tourism Organization rips
TravelGolf.com Caribbean coverage
TravelGolf.com staff
The Caribbean Tourism Organization has blasted TravelGolf.com, an Internet network of 40 online golf publications and course guides, for a Caribbean story that CTO spokesman Richard Kahn described as "inflammatory."
"I was totally amazed at the inflammatory remarks about crime throughout the story," Kahn wrote in a letter to the site. "Yes, there is crime in the Caribbean, but it is no worse there than it is in New York, Miami, Chicago, Atlanta, Orlando, etc."
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Kahn also called TravelGolf.com publisher Robert Lewis to complain about its Caribbean coverage. Lewis said Kahn turned down an offer to write a rebuttal.
The story, titled "Caribbean golf: take your clubs, wallet and bodyguard," and written by National Golf Editor Tim McDonald, warned potential golfers traveling to the Caribbean about an upsurge in crime in recent years, and pointed out areas to avoid in their travels.
"Buyer beware: sometimes the Caribbean isn't always what it's cracked up to be," McDonald wrote. "Here are some factors the travel agents may conveniently forget to tell you about.
McDonald went on to name Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, St. Croix and others as places where travelers needed to exercise particular caution.
Kahn, who has a long-standing relationship with the CTO as a public relations consultant, said the story was "not responsible journalism. "As a journalist for more than 30 years I am at a loss of words at this reporting job. Your site should be ashamed to have run this report."
Kahn also has long-standing ties to the Caribbean Hotel Association and has served on the Board of Trustees for the Caribbean Hospitality Training Institute.
Lewis said he stood behind the story.
"Absolutely. I stand by his article 100 percent," said Lewis, who said his network, which focuses on travel and golf, reaches two million golfers a month.
The story and its aftermath resulted in the dismissal of Dale Leatherman, associate editor of Caribbeangolf.com, one of the 40 sites under the umbrella of TravelGolf.com.
Leatherman said she resigned, a claim Lewis disputes.
"She was fired in mid June, three weeks before her claimed resignation," Lewis said.
In a newsletter of the Society of American Travel Writers, a group that includes more than 700 travel writers, Leatherman said she was announcing her resignation.
Also, in her announcement, Leatherman said she had started the Caribbean site and had presided over it as editor, other claims Lewis said are erroneous.
"Her claims of being the 'editor' as well as 'starting' CaribbeanGolf.com run in conflict with the facts," he said. "She was never the editor and she never started CaribbeanGolf.com. I bought out CaribbeanGolf.com from a third party."
Leatherman's payroll records indicate she was a contract associate editor.
Leatherman is a member of the Golf Travel Writers Association, which is affiliated with the International Association of Golf Tour Operators, a trade organization for the golf tourism industry. Its members include golf resorts, golf tour operators golf courses, tourist boards and others.
"She was dismissed as a contract associate editor in June for failing to disclose to us her business interests in the Caribbean," Lewis said. "In obtaining a position with us, she passed herself and her writing off as objective journalistic reviews. We felt misled that she failed to disclose the nature of her relationships in the Caribbean."
"TravelGolf.com takes full responsibility for failing to do the proper research prior to hiring Dale Leatherman,"he added. "We need to do a better job. And we will."
Leatherman said she joined the GTWA about a year ago, but never took any trips sponsored by either organization.
"Other than freelancing writing projects, I don't have any connection to anybody that does trips," she said.
She also criticized the story.
"I have no doubt some of those things (in the article) are true," said Leatherman. "There is crime all over. But, most travelers go from airport, they use the resort's shuttle, stay at the resort and never leave it. If they go out of the resort and stroll back-streets of the town, they will find trouble."
McDonald said the story was written to warn people of certain areas in the Caribbean, information they might not get from other sources.
"The majority of Caribbean travelers don't have any problem with crime, if they're smart," said McDonald, who added his observations were backed up by publications such as the CIA Fact Book. "Yes, there is crime in the U.S., but most Americans have at least some familiarity with it, which they might not have in the Caribbean. I think that was the point of the story."
The article, also criticized because it wasn't properly labeled as commentary, prompted a deluge of letters to the editor, some critical, some supportive.
Brian McCallen, a former travel editor for Golf Magazine, said: "As one who served as Travel Editor at GOLF Magazine for 16-plus years, I cannot ever remember reading a more vindictive hatchet job on a destination such as the one written by Mr. McDonald."
Nancy Hastings of Dayton Ohio, wrote: "I appreciate the writer's honesty. Too much of what we read and hear is pure marketing to generate revenue and not facts and honest guidance to help us make travel decisions. I, too, have been in the Caribbean several times, but my visits have declined as I have experienced more and more of the writer's observations. Keep up the good work."
Lewis said the column was balanced by following positive stories, including one pointing out safe Caribbean destinations.
He added that the online network would try to paint an objective portrait of the region, and criticized the mainstream travel media.
"Travelers are being misled by travel media because they are not aware that these writers are being funded by Caribbean tourism organizations," Lewis said. "Many of these writers will write fluff pieces so they can continue to receive free travel. The majority of travel writers who opine about the Caribbean are nothing more than public relations specialists masquerading as journalists."
Marcia Levin, president of the Society of American Travel Writers, defended the writers in her organization, saying all the writers she knows write fair and objective articles that criticize the destinations they are writing about whenever necessary.
"(The articles) are not getting hard news reporting, like news item or business items," said Levin. "But any travel writer worth his title is going to be objective. Most travel writers I know write accurately about where they have gone, and the people who go there after they read those articles don't feel they were fooled by what they read."
Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.
