Concorde to be added to Symmonds’ Ministry

Minister of Tourism and International Transport  Kerrie Symmonds says his ministry will be responsible for the Barbados Concorde Experience which is to become the star attraction of an aeronautical museum.

Speaking to Barbados TODAY from the Caribbean Travel Marketplace in Montego Bay Jamaica, Symmonds said “My ministry is going to take control of the attraction. It was originally under the Barbados Tourism Investment Inc (BTMI) but that is now in the Ministry of Investment.

“We are prepared to take it over and have it as a part of the airport’s management structure and the airport will superintend the attraction and also the maintenance of the hanger and the Concorde experience as a whole,” he said, adding that the renovation of the Concorde will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Symmonds noted that there was no plan in place on how to market the aeronautical attraction which Barbados inherited in 2003.

“The problem with the Concorde Experience is that I came into office and there was no marketing plan for the attraction and frankly there was no development plan. So I wanted it to be re-thought as an attraction and I wanted it to be something that we can bring up to date,” he said as he also alluded to plans for a museum.

“If we are going to have an aeronautical experience that means we have to have things that will support it at the Concorde not just to go there and see the aircraft or to take a tour of the aircraft. So, it may be displays of information technology or more historical stuff. So that is a work in progress. It is a little too early to get a perspective on that,” he said.