‘SHOWCASE OUR TALENT’

Barbados Tourism Product Authority’s (BTPA) CEO, Dr. Kerry Hall believes Honey Jazz is extremely important to Barbados Tourism.

 

Hall made the remark while speaking to The Barbados Advocate at the First Citizens Honey Jazz Festival, which paid tribute to Nina Simone at Limegrove. 

 

She stated, “We showcase our authenticity in its entirety by also showcasing the talent in Barbados. Events like Honey Jazz, Mahalia’s Corner, Christmas Jazz, etc. add to what we are trying to do, which is to differentiate the Barbados Tourism Product. Visitors are looking to do more than sit on the beach; they want to immerse themselves in our culture and productions, such as this, which display young Barbadians talents. What we are trying to do with these entertainment shows is create a path that visitors know these show exist.”

 

The BTPA head also revealed that a new application was coming on board. She explained, “We are about to launch a tourism app which will be able to promote these shows directly to the visitor and we will be able to create greater awareness of when these shows are happening. [Therefore] any visitor would be at the pulse of what is happening in Barbados, such as events like Honey Jazz or any entertainment show. We need to showcase our talent to the visitors as we seek to elevate our island to the rest of the world, we can do this through the cultural industries, drawing those linkages between cultural industries and tourism is a major mandate of the BTPA and we believe it is one of the most sustainable forms of tourism. Combining culture and tourism can create opportunities for the youth, enhance the visitor experience and improve the Barbados brand.”