EDITORIAL: Tourism still our business

Barbados once used the tagline “Tourism is our Business, Let’s Play our Part”, and it was a catchphrase used to not only remind Barbadians of the role that tourism plays in this country, but to implore us to recognise that all of us had a role to play in making the country a destination of choice.

 

While we have not used that slogan in many years, it does not mean that it is any less relevant today than it was then. In fact, more than ever we can argue that Barbadians need to be reminded about the importance of tourism to the overall development of the country, and what role they can play in that regard.

 

Certainly, we have had to work extra hard to attract visitors as the recession affected the world, and indeed the disposable income of potential visitors to these shores. We have also had the challenge of the APD in the United Kingdom and lately also the impact of Brexit. These are issues we cannot ignore as the UK remains the country’s largest source market. Of equal concern is the situation in the United States. With Donald Trump set to be sworn in as that nation’s 45th President, there is no telling what will happen with that country’s economy; let’s not forget that as it became clear that he had won the elections, the stock markets plummeted. So that while the US dollar seems strong now and we have seen an increase in visitors coming from that country, we do not know what the future holds.

 

Indeed, though tourism officials probably wish they had a crystal ball to see the future, so that they could better plan and prepare for every eventuality, that is not the case. So it is imperative that Barbados explore other markets for tourists, for it can be argued that if we do not go this route, we run the risk of being left behind, especially given the growing competition. Given that, we definitely cannot market Barbados as just sun, sea and sand. The Barbados Tourism Marketing Corporation has certainly realised that and has been pursuing many avenues through which to get people here, but unless there is also investment in the product aspect of the industry, then all that effort would be for naught. For many years there has been concern that our hotel plants are somewhat tired and recently there have been concerted efforts made to improve these plants, and this must continue.

 

We also have to get the promised tourism projects going in full swing – Sam Lord’s Castle Wyndham Grand Resort and even the controversial Hyatt and Four Seasons. While Barbados has been a country that has succeeded with home-grown hotels, there can be no denying that the aforementioned brands have their following. We must also be cognisant that other Caribbean countries are building such hotels. Just this week, Dominica announced that a Marriott, of which Barbados can also claim to have one, is to be built there.

 

We must also not ignore the possible impact of the new Argyle International Airport due to open in St. Vincent and the Grenadines next month. The fear is that Barbados’ position as the international gateway to the Eastern Caribbean could be in jeopardy from this new airport. We do not anticipate that there will be any immediate impact, but we have to be mindful of the possibility that Barbados could see fewer airlines coming here in the distant future.

 

We have achieved much as a destination over the years, but now is not the time to rest on our laurels, we have to ensure that every effort is made to keep us relevant and competitive.