BTPA official: Continue to educate our youth
Manager of the National Tourism Host Programme (NTHP) at the Barbados Tourism Product Authority (BTPA), Marsha Alleyne, believes that in order to strengthen Brand Barbados, we must continue to educate our youth on things that make this country great.
Her comments came during an awards ceremony that took place at the BTPA headquarters yesterday morning.
“The BTPA recognises that in order for Barbados to differentiate itself from the plethora of sun, sea and sand destinations across the globe, we must raise and emphasise on educating, building awareness and instilling national pride and consciousness in the psyche and minds of every Barbadian, with an emphasis on our youth,” she said.
Alleyne noted that she spent some time sharing the destination’s unique selling points with First Year students of the Barbados Community College’s Hospitality programme, and expressed that one particular concern for her was the fact that very few of those students knew about the history and the unique qualities and selling points which give Barbados a strong, competitive advantage over many other destinations.
She expressed that the BTPA recognises that a lot of work must be done to build an awareness among the youth, as cruise passengers have a keen expectation and are demanding to interact with locals so that they could be completely emerged in the local culture.
“And as that demand for ‘authentic Barbados’ increases, our people – our most important resources – must equip themselves with more than a passing knowledge of our history, our customs and the attractions. In a nutshell, we as a people must be willing and ready to embrace our ‘Barbadian-ness’ and in the words of our CEO, ‘Strive to be 100 per cent, unapologetically and uncompromisingly Bajan,’” she said.
Additionally, she believed that as a cruise destination, Barbados could provide more for the tourists. She noted that the country can no longer “sit back and feel that our cruise tourism product is safe”. She urged that we continue to be better.