Senator Ince: Diversify tourism product

“When we talk about diversifying the tourism sector, let us not only talk about diversifying a building structure but also diversifying food,” said Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, Senator Jepter Ince.

 

Speaking in the Upper House on Wednesday evening, he expressed his belief that there needed to be establishments which put strong emphasis on offering Barbadian foods and beverages, so that visitors could fully immerse themselves in the culture.

 

“I am of the opinion that sometimes when an individual leaves Europe or the US and comes to Barbados, having had that experience I know that vodka and whiskey is a dime a dozen in those places... I believe that when they come to Barbados, they want to have pickle breadfruit, a green banana cou-cou, a yam cou-cou with some steamed fish. That is Barbadian! When you get up on mornings you want to have a cassava bake, a cornmeal dumpling, a good soup. That is the Barbadiana that I am talking about. For example, I know we look to produce all the sugar we want, but sometimes it is sad that the sugar crop is in and you go to a restaurant and cannot get a glass of cane juice. Sometimes it is difficult to get a glass of coconut water and you ask for lemonade and they tell you it is the mixed powder. Barbados has lime trees all over the place.

 

“These are the things that should be on our menu. Mauby, soursop punch and coconut punch, these are the things that when you come to Barbados you want. And I say to the Tourism Authority that there is nothing wrong that people will say, ‘When you go to Barbados, 

you experience the Barbados experience,’” he stressed. (JMB)