There must be very few tourism-oriented countries whose capital cities are not major contributors to the revenue from the industry. If there are, Kingston is certainly one of them. This paper examines the decline of Kingston as a tourist destination and attributes it to the issues of social exclusion and violence. Paradoxically, the decline of Kingston has taken place simultaneously with its rise as the fulcrum of Jamaica’s cultural identity and a mecca for those young people, by its offerings of music and spirituality. Owing to the influence of Kingston over the rest of Jamaica, Jamaica’s tourism could grow by leaps and bounds were Kingston to be successful at addressing the twin issues of social exclusion and violence. For that to happen, it requires a different kind of tourism, a community-oriented tourism based on the city’s culture, in which the young people clearly have a stake, mixed with the upscale, New Kingston-type.