More investment in tourism businesses and renewed attention to the island’s attractions are among the areas for improvement identified by experts, lawmakers were told Friday.
Work has already started on transforming the Barbados Museum, Minister of Tourism and International Transport Ian Gooding-Edghill told the Estimates hearing, but added there is potential for more restaurants and attractions to diversify the island’s tourism product.
In answer to a question raised by Deputy Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw, Gooding-Edghill said Barbados has to ensure that every visitor contributes to the economy and this has to be driven by creative marketing and leveraging the island’s heritage tourism.
“If we are building out additional airlift and capacity into the destination and you can’t get a restaurant booking…it tells the story of tourism,” he said. “We need to have more investment in restaurants, more investment in attractions. The repeat customer who comes to Barbados on a cruise ship or a long-stay visitor would not want to visit the same sites he visited last year, and there are opportunities for us to create, within communities, more attractions. It is something I intend to pay greater attention to.”
The House of Assembly also heard from Project Coordinator of the National Tourism Initiative Nicole Alleyne who confirmed that work had been started on a new car park for the museum which is to be transformed into a civic space for the interpretation of Barbadian history. The work will also include the upgrade of three galleries at the Garrison property to bring a “freshness” to the attraction’s offerings.
Alleyne added that work is also to be undertaken in The City on a visitor’s centre and a gallery at the Old Town Hall at Cheapside. There will also be improvements to the tourism urban tour and enhancing Trevor’s Way with improved landscaping and lighting and new bathroom facilities.
Minister Gooding-Edghill also told the morning session of the Estimates debate that the ministry is to undertake a review of this island’s attractions to assess their quality and price.
The study is to compare other Caribbean markets with what they offer and charge.
“If we put additional attractions in the market and we are over-pricing ourselves, that would be a competitive disadvantage,” said the minister. “We are working on that.”
Gooding-Edghill said road infrastructure was a concern for the tourism industry but less so now that the island’s road network is being improved.
Other areas being addressed include baggage handling facilities enhancement and the public address system at the Grantley Adams International Airport.
(SP)
