BTMI boss says Barbados must entice low season travellers

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI) Jens Thraenhart says Barbados must position itself as a year-round destination to attract low season travellers who are likely to become a key market.

He said it was necessary for Barbados to make this “big” move, with global statistics showing that 78 per cent of travellers are choosing less crowded destinations.

“We are partnering with an organisation called Low Season Travel, and I actually believe that low season travel will be the next luxury. People don’t want to spend time with a lot of people and pay higher prices and I think that’s the shift.

“So the goal is really to make sure that we position Barbados as an all year tourism destination to drive consumer demand which results in increased airlift. And I think that’s a big goal, but I think that it is possible,” he said at the first Visit BTMI Industry Forum, at the Hilton Resort, on Monday.

According to the Low Season Traveller website, the low season traveller is someone who typically goes against the flow, and does not like crowds and busy stressful environments.

Thraenhart said BTMI would be ready to launch seasonal niche market campaigns within a public-private partnership framework.

He said the Bajan Experiences Collection would be one of the strategies to market the country’s tourism offerings.

The CEO explained that the purpose of the Bajan Experiences Collection is to build resilience for micro and all tourism businesses, build a community of like-minded businesses, network and build capacity, and identify and foster innovation.

He said the programme is also expected to reposition Barbados as a destination with a wide variety of authentic experiences via storytelling, and drive revenue to businesses.

“I see many people when I drive through Barbados that don’t really get a share of the benefits of tourism and that’s what we need to change. The impact of tourism actually, especially for an island like Barbados, has huge impacts, from an economic standpoint, from a preservation standpoint, from a cultural standpoint, and from a quality of life standpoint,” Thraenhart said.

“So, really, if we do tourism right it would really impact all aspects of life of Barbadian residents. Powered by digital and data systems, Barbados will be able to build permission-based customer relations to connect consumers and businesses in value-based incentive schemes.”

The CEO added that a new model must be created where all stakeholders interact.

“If we do that well, we will reposition Barbados from beaches only to more than just beaches. Let’s be honest, this is a more expensive beach, there are a lot of other options out there,” Thraenhart said. (AH)