Crop Over to feature in intensified tourism marketing strategy

Tourism stakeholders are intensifying marketing efforts for this year’s Crop Over Festival as the country attempts to return the critical sector to normalcy.

That’s according to Minister of Tourism and International Transport Senator Lisa Cummins who said she expects a “healthy and successful 2022” in terms of airlift to the country.

She said seat capacity from airlift into the island is once again approaching the numbers seen in 2019 with 279,000 seats out of the United States alone.

“We’re beginning to recover. We are now starting to see the world moving forward, we’re starting to see countries recovering,” said Senator Cummins during Friday’s State of the Industry address.

“Crop Over is on this year and so everybody wants to be outside. So we have already begun to launch this and we have partnered with a local [online travel agency]. It’s the sweetest summer festival.

“If there’s one thing we are clear about is that the last two years have been hard on everybody, and so people are looking forward to an opportunity to just get away,” the Tourism Minister added.

As part of a new, aggressive marketing strategy, the country has unveiled numerous mosaics and images in key cities, including Brussels, New York, Frankfurt, as well as across the United Kingdom.

Minister Cummins also mentioned a new initiative called the “postcards from Barbados” product which will soon be launched.

But she acknowledged that the country’s offerings during the summer months needed to improve, particularly for younger people.

The country’s cruise sector has been hampered heavily because of the inconsistent COVID-19 approaches and infection rates across the region.

“That means that we have seen many of the ships that are traditionally meant to sail during this period having to cease operation because there has not been enough business throughout the Caribbean,” said Senator Cummins.

“It obviously placed pressure on Barbados, because if we are the homeport and they are unable to go anywhere else, then they are all coming to Barbados and we are looking for them to find a solution. But I believe we all know that cruising is not a single country activity; it is a multi-country activity and so, in the absence of coherence across the region in terms of COVID protocols, many of the ships had to cease sailing,” she added.

With cruise ships operating at just 35 per cent of capacity, business has diminished for stakeholders in the industry, including local businesses, but the Tourism Minister said there is hope beyond the challenges.

While the outlook for the cruise sector over the summer period continues to be dim, there are nearly 400 cruise visits scheduled for the winter tourist season.

“For summer 2022, the perspective is quite limited. We have five vessel calls scheduled, but for winter, the outlook is very strong,” Cummins said.

“There are approximately 390 vessel calls scheduled. We also have a very important cruise christening – the first cruise ship to be christened here in Barbados will take place during the course of this year and sailing capacity is meant to go from 35 per cent up to 100 per cent, even barring the unforeseen changes that we know COVID can bring.” (KS)