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BTA Family & Friends making progress
7/28/2010
AFTER just one year in operation, the Family and Friends Programme launched by the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) to tap the Barbadian community overseas to help increase tourism business to the island, is making headway.
The Barbados Family & Friends (BFF) Club was launched in 2009 as a new initiative to help sustain and increase arrivals to Barbados. The BTA noted at the time that the BFF Club was designed to provide a more structured approach to efforts by the Barbadian Diaspora and friends of Barbados overseas, to recommend that people travel here, thereby sending more business this way. In return, members would accumulate points, leading to cash payments and other benefits.
As the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) and the Diaspora market celebrated the first anniversary of the Barbados Family and Friends (BFF) Club on July 20, 2010 this year, the BTA sought to give an update on the programme. Minister of Tourism, Richard Sealy, also expressed his contentment at the performance of the programme thus far.
Since its launch in 2009, it was reported that 671 persons have been inducted, and a number of persons have already accumulated points and this, Sealy noted, will augur extremely well for Barbados’ tourism market and economy as a whole as more persons are expected to sign up.
It was also noted that in addition to the 671 members, awareness of the programme has been heartening during the one year period, with over 1 500 persons joining the Club’s Facebook page thus far. The BTA has also revealed that business generated from each market has been reflected in the overall member registration and points accrued, and so far, the USA leads with a total of 334 members and 19 500 points.
In a tourism update, BTA Director of Marketing Services Averil Byer noted that members of the BFF Club can look forward to a generous anniversary bonus.
“We are very pleased with the progress of the BFF programme in the first year, and believe that the Diaspora and friends of Barbados have a key role to play in attracting visitors to our shores. The incentives we have put in place are working and new initiatives will be launched to celebrate the first anniversary, which will include bonus points for members.”
All new registrations made before the end of this August will receive a starting bonus of 250 points.
Double points will now also be rewarded for business generated during the trough months of September and October 2010.
For further information on the Barbados Family and Friends Club, visit www.barbadosfamilyandfriends.com. (RSM)
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