EDITORIAL
There was much talk about tourism this week when the House of Assembly discussed a resolution to take note of the Final Report of the National Cruise Development Commission. During that parliamentary session, one of the points made by the Leader of the Opposition, Bishop Joseph Atherley in his contribution to the debate, was about the need to have more tourist attractions.
He highlighted the need to improve on and increase the attractions on the island, and we agree. This is essential, not only to appeal to land-based visitors who spend a longer period here, but even more, the type of tourist that exist in abundance today – those who come by way of a cruise vessel. He is certainly not the first politician to note that the attraction offerings are somewhat lacking, and sad to say, he is not likely to be the last, for it would seem that few are willing to heed the call to fill the gaping hole that exists in that aspect of our tourism product.
We would argue that if we are to appeal to cruise visitors and entice them to come back to spend a longer time, then in the limited time that they spend here, we in essence have to wow them. That means that we cannot have the same old, tired attractions and we must be able to offer them new and exciting experiences, including tours of the island. We may not have an abundance of natural tourist attractions like some other countries do, but there is no reason why some local entrepreneur cannot take up the challenge of creating a new attraction or event that can be of interest to visitors, which in addition to helping to promote destination Barbados, would also help increase visitor spend, which is also very much needed at this time.
As far back as 2012 in the White Paper on the Development of Tourism in Barbados, it was noted that the sustainability of the Barbados tourism product is inextricable linked to the quality of its tourism assets, and it suggested that one of the downfalls of the sector was inadequate focus being placed on the development of attractions that would appeal to the special interest and family niche markets. It spoke also to the hotel plants, which the White Paper said were “generally uncompetitive” and required renovation and upgrading to incorporate 21st century facilities and in-room product innovation.
It is safe to say we have almost completely addressed the much needed upgrade in respect of the hotels. Over the last few years, we have seen many a renovation take place and even new players come into the sector, but not much has been done by way of the attractions, except perhaps Harrison’s Cave and certainly few, if any new ones, have come on board in recent times.
But, the fact is, Barbados needs to increase its attraction portfolio, if the country is to stay competitive in the global tourism industry. We are not competing just with the other countries in the Caribbean region, our competition is the wider world and so it is imperative that creative minds start to look for opportunities to pursue, to ensure that our visitors, particularly our repeat visitors, have access to new experiences.
If we are to be honest and look at the situation objectively, we would have to admit that we are disadvantaging our high percentage of repeat visitors, because after a few times on the island, there is very little for persons to do. And, we believe that in coming up with ideas for new attractions, recognising that we are a destination loved by families, it is vital that we appeal to those children and work assiduously to leave a lasting impression. Doing so could solidify Barbados in their hearts, and when they become adults, the islands stands a better chance of being their destination of choice.