Great potential in tourism niches

WITH the tourism industry in Barbados and the Caribbean hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, an international trade expert is putting the case for the development of niche areas of tourism, including medical tourism, that can breathe new life into the industry.

Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC), noted that while the restart of international tourism is already on the horizon, it will not be business as usual and so there is a need to rethink the current tourism offerings. She was speaking recently during the Barbados Coalition of Service Industries and the Ministry of Energy, Small Business and Entrepreneurship’s virtual webinar, the latest instalment in the Fish Bowl Conversation Series, held under the theme ‘Services for Economic Resilience and Post-Pandemic Recovery’.

Pointing out to the online audience that the effects of the pandemic are expected to linger for years to come, she said short-stay visits will become less appealing in the immediate future. To that end, Coke-Hamilton said the offerings will have to be adapted to fit, not only the current characteristics of the market, but meet future consumer trends. Moreover, she said the focus will have to be on innovating and fortifying the tourism offerings to be more resilient and facilitate the distribution of tourism gain in a more equitable fashion.

She went on to say that the growing niche areas of tourism, such as edu-cational tourism, are less dependent on seasonal or event-based cycles. Additionally, she said they can help to guarantee a steady flow of visitors and are less vulnerable to external shocks.

“With a reputation for high quality medical care and warm weather year round, the health and wellness sector is an area Barbados and the Caribbean can more aggressively tap into. The possibilities in this area are diverse, including persons seeking treatment in comfortable and inviting locations through medical tourism, and the pro-vision of holistic and alternative remedies, activities and experiences such as retreats,” she indicated.

The ITC’s Executive Director explained that investment in the health and wellness sector in Barbados would provide increased income and employment opportunities for medical staff, as well as increase the overall quality of the medical infrastructure and skills available for Barbadians and visitors alike.

Coke-Hamilton referred also to the potential as it relates to educational tourism, indicating that this is another niche that Barbados enjoys a competitive advantage, through its offering of high quality facilities to satellite learning institutions, as seen in the case of Ross University. She said that it can attract long-stay visitors who would make use of the wide variety of support services on the island.

Going further, the trade expert stated that sports tourism is also an area that Barbados and countries in the region can capitalise on. While pointing out that some of the top athletes in the world hail from the Caribbean, Coke-Hamilton, who is a Jamaican national, expressed disappointment that few of our islands have managed to take advantage of the full potential of sports tourism. Additionally, she indicated that like educational tourism, there is scope for the establishment of “dynamic partnerships” with sports institutions, so as to attract athletes to the island to make use of the training facilities.

“While Barbados has attracted international tournaments such as test cricket, there’s more that can be done to expand this footprint in other sports including track and field, indoor and outdoor swim meets and golf on a more consistent and structured basis,” she stated.

In that vein, the ITC head added that a deepening of engagement in such niches, as part of a central plan for export development, will benefit not only tourism, but result in multiple avenues for small businesses to provide services throughout the value chain. (JRT)