EDITORIAL - Keep up the good work

KUDOS to Barbados for being adjudged the Best Tourism Destination in the world.

The designation, which came as a result of ratings by visitors, is a strong message that tiny Barbados is doing something significant in positioning its tourism industry, which is the lifeblood of the
economy, even as detractors continue to bad mouth the country.

This 166-square mile island was named the Best Destination in the Global category, Best in the Americas and Best Accommodation in the 2017 Destination Satisfaction Index (DSI), awarded at ITB Berlin 2018. The 70 000 travellers from across the globe who were surveyed, responded positively to what the country has to offer in a number of categories. This award is a signal of the relentless work which the Minister of Tourism and International Transport, the Honourable Richard Sealy, and other stakeholders in tourism, have undertaken to keep the Barbados image in the forefront of the market.

In the debate on the 2018/2019 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure in the House of Assembly last month, Sealy acknowledged the work that has been done since 2008 to lift the industry to new heights. He spoke about the new markets which the country has gone after, the additional airlines which are brining new services, existing ones also adding new flights, and product development. There are also plans to ramp up the German market which Sealy reminded Parliament means a lot to Barbados.

There is no shortage of those providing ancillary services and this speaks volumes. Some of the areas where visitors gave their feedback were accommodation, cuisine, shopping, local transport, tour operators, wellness, entertainment, personal security and landscaping. This suggests therefore that the providers of these services are doing something which can only make the country proud.

We are quite mindful of the many reviews which the industry in Barbados has received at a time when competition remains extremely tough, with new players coming into the market, and destinations putting together a variety of packages to woo visitors to their shores.

In what was his last review of the performance of the Barbados economy, the then Central Bank of Barbados Governor, Dr. Delisle Worrell, highlighted the significant strides this country’s tourism industry continues to make. In the December 2016 report, Dr. Worrell said that this country was the seventh most competitive tourism destination in all of the Americas, according to the 2015 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report. The countries that scored higher were the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica and Panama. The factors that contribute to the island’s competitive strengths, he pointed out, include health, safety and security and the available use of information technology. He has also saluted the investments being made in the industry.

Since exiting the Bank a little over a year ago, Dr. Worrell has maintained his position that Barbados’ tourism is an international industry which requires support from other areas in the economy to improve the overall local economy. In particular, he wants to see a better functioning public sector.

While the country celebrates this achievement, for which it has every right to do, it must however continue to explore more areas so as to broaden the scope for tourism.

Barbados must not rest on its laurels, but instead look for more ground to conquer.

Barbados Advocate

Mailing Address:
Advocate Publishers (2000) Inc
Fontabelle, St. Michael, Barbados

Phone: (246) 467-2000
Fax: (246) 434-2020 / (246) 434-1000