BTPA CEO encourages authentic experiences

Visitors to Barbados, across all demographic groups, want to get into the DNA of the destination and live like a Bajan. So says CEO of the Barbados Tourism Product Authority (BTPA), Dr. Kerry Hall, who spoke yesterday as a part of a joint media brunch with the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) and the Barbados Tourism Investment Inc. (BTII) at the Savannah Beach Hotel.

 

Dr. Hall led off her presentation by calling on tourism providers to be unapologetically Bajan in their service delivery if they wanted to be successful in the long run.

 

“We have taken a very scientific approach to product development through secondary research, such as trend analysis, and primary research through focus groups targeting boomers and millennials. So far we can say without a doubt there is a strong desire among travellers today for authentic experiences.”

 

This has motivated the BTPA team to take a two-pronged approach to tourism product development that merges new product development with quality assurance.

 

Among the new products are the BTPA’s own innovations, such as “Speightstown Sizzlin’”, designed to breathe life into the quiet, quaint northern town; the Holetown Heritage Walk with live reenactments of life in Barbados’ first town; and local dining 

experiences in the homes of Barbadians.

 

One particularly successful project has been the “Breezin’” bus tours, which take adventurous visitors off the beaten path to learn how to roast breadfruit, drop fish cakes, and experience non-traditional sites and places of interest. 

 

“Barbados has long enjoyed a high percentage of repeat visitors and Breezin’ has been the answer for those who thought they had seen and done it all on the island.”  

 

The BTPA team has also formed alliances across key niches including “Country Sizzle”, the Barbados Association of Rum Shops’ rum shop tours in the culinary niche, and the Barbados Archives department to promote genealogy tourism with astro-tourism and voluntourism on the horizon.

 

Simultaneous with the creation of these new experiences, the BTPA is moving to strengthen industry regulations to ensure high-quality standards are maintained, particularly for newer forms of accommodation and currently unregulated restaurants. The BTPA’s mandate also extends to a number of national awareness programmes, including the “Clean Bim” anti-littering campaign and “I am Tourism”, which will highlight the important role of non-traditional industry workers. 

 

“At the end of the day, Barbados’ tourism stands on three key pillars – cleanliness, safety and friendliness. Our work ensures protecting these important brand elements, while guaranteeing the sustainability of our tourism industry, first for Barbadians, from which our visitors can then benefit.” CEO Dr. Kerry Hall said.