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.
Lookout, Marsha Caddle! Dems yardfowls gonna say that moving The Concorde from Investment to Tourism is a demotion for you and you were ineffective in handling the supersonic aircraft. Remember what they said about Edmund Hinkson?
Anyway, let The Concorde and aeronautical museum be part of the overall airport experience in the renovation and expansion of GAIA. We must adopt a holistic approach to our development plans and not do things in a hodgepodge manner.
Take a look at the environs of the airport (to the east and west of the terminal) and come up with a comprehensive plan for the entire area.
Sell it to me I can part it out and make 100million usd in four months.
Lol anthony barker.but you would need about 200m..US