Tourism sees upgrades in bid for year-round growth

he island’s tourism plant is receiving a significant boost as hotels and resorts undergo extensive renovations and rebranding in a bid to position the island for year-round visitor appeal, according to the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA).

BHTA Chief Executive Officer Ryan Forde highlighted a transformation of the island’s tourism landscape as he addressed the BHTA’s third quarterly general meeting on Friday.

“Years ago, the period of high arrivals and occupancy was just six months, but due to the great investment in the product by you the BHTA [members] and the diversity of that product offering, as well as from the IHB [Intimate Hotels of Barbados] membership and the great marking of our partners, the BTMI and the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport, we are now able to attract persons in high numbers to the destination for at least nine to ten months of the year,” Forde said.

The CEO pointed to ongoing upgrades at Wyndham Sam Lords, Atlantis Hotel, O2 Hotel and Spa, Hilton Barbados Resort, South Gap, and Pirates Inn, as evidence of the sector’s commitment to enhancing the island’s appeal to both visitors and nationals.

Membership growth within the BHTA further underscores the industry’s vitality, said the CEO.

“To think we had a record year of 18 new members last year, and we are already at potentially 35, and we are only in September of 2024. We must be proud of our Barbados product and the remarkable upgrades. We must be boastful and loud with the positive and not just the negatives,” he said.

In a bid to cater to an increasingly diverse visitor base, the BHTA is also focusing on language skills development. Forde revealed plans to collaborate with the Venezuelan Embassy on business Spanish training for the tourism industry, with an eye towards future exchange programmes across Latin America.

The association is also pushing the island’s sports tourism profile, citing a 2021 report by Professor Dr Rudolph Alleyne that showed the sector contributed between $102 million to $154 million annually to the economy in 2018-2019. Forde stressed the importance of investment in this area, noting the global growth trend and Barbados’ suitability for sports-related travel. (SB)