Businessman – regional effort crucial to boosting summer tourism figures

The countries in southern Caribbean must team up to work together to attract cruise ship business during the summer months, says chief executive officer of Foster & Ince Martin Ince.

Acknowledging that business was slow during that period, Ince said regional players in the tourism sector needed to put their heads together and come up with creative ways to build out cruise tourism in the summer.

“As a southern Caribbean region, I think we need to work together to see what we can do to attract the ships but it is very much a futurist business.

“So we know for the summer of 2023 there is one call in May . . . So for 2024 I would say we have missed that window and I think we are looking at 2025, probably the summer of 2026. I think it is a wonderful opportunity for us.”

The tourism official with more than 50 years in the sector, said he could see where the regional industry could benefit from an extension of the traditional summer period beyond April when it normally ends, and starting before the “winter season” in November.

Explaining the slow business of the summer months, Ince said: “I think the Alaska season is very strong and also the Mediterranean season and it has a lot to do with the airlift. If you are out of Europe we are still a long-haul destination and the aircraft can do one rotation in 24 hours. Whereas in Europe they [have] shorter distances and they can do two rotations.

“I think the United States market would be key for us but probably not the bigger [cruise] lines, probably some of the smaller lines, which would help a lot with sea support with the pre and post [winter season] and that would help some of our land-based summer business as well.”

With more than 20 000 passengers arriving on vessels alone this week, Ince said this was evidence that the cruise tourism sector was getting back to normal pre-COVID levels.

He said the Caribbean has been “extremely strong” and “Barbados had rebounded”. 

“This year we are breaking some records with the number of homeporting ships and our future looks very bright. Cruising globally is back, the bookings are strong, the cruise lines are having very good wave seasons, which is the booking period. Prices are good and passengers are enjoying themselves.” (SZB)