Manufacturers urged to deepen tourism links

Stronger public-private collaboration and better market data are needed to help manufacturers increase supplies to the domestic economy and the tourism industry, the Barbados Manufacturers Association has urged.

BMA Executive Director Shardae Boyce said building strategic partnerships and understanding market needs were vital to overcoming supply chain barriers and navigating global economic friction.

Appearing on a panel discussion titled Caribbean Economic Strategies for Navigating Global Trade Fragmentation at the Central Bank of Barbados’ Annual Review Seminar, Boyce emphasised that tourism must be viewed as a vital export avenue for producers.

“I really see tourism as an export sector. It gives us the opportunity to supply our goods to international persons,” Boyce said, pointing out that the BMA’s membership spans seven key areas, including food and beverages, furniture, construction products and pharmaceuticals.

She highlighted that every segment of manufacturing has a distinct role to play in serving the domestic tourism ecosystem, particularly as the island undergoes a construction surge and seeks to offer authentic cultural experiences.

Boyce said: “When we look at food and beverages, there is a natural link between food and beverages and tourism because our food and beverages usually tell a story of our heritage… that is the easy sell when people come to Barbados. 

“Construction products, we know that there’s a construction boom going on in Barbados, and I see that link… there’s an opportunity for the producers of construction products to supply the local tourism sector.”

The BMA chief acknowledged that, while close commercial relationships already exist, information gaps and structural hurdles continue to limit the scale of local integration. To bridge these gaps, she pointed to formal collaborative frameworks that bring key stakeholders together to address operational challenges.

“Stronger relationships mean greater supply,” Boyce said. “We started to do that through the tourism community council that exists. That is a public-private kind of partnership where we sit down and we work together to see how we can overcome any challenge that exists.”

Addressing how businesses are adapting to international supply chain disruptions and volatile input costs, the BMA executive said producers were increasingly exploring collective purchasing strategies to remain competitive.

“A practical example is we know that supply of inputs becomes a challenge in a trade-fragmented environment, and we are seeing the conversations happening in terms of how they can now consolidate the inputs. 

“When you buy in bulk, you have the opportunity to bring down the cost of the product, and that is one of the areas that I’m seeing them respond in terms of coming together to see how they can purchase more products through bulk to carry down costs, which will have a positive impact on consumers as well.”

National policy alignment and administrative efficiency were crucial to attracting investment and enabling enterprises to withstand external economic shocks, she said.

“A lot of the things that we need to do in response and in preparation for trade fragmentation lies within our national landscape in terms of setting up the necessary national policies, the trade policies, ensuring that the infrastructure is there to facilitate the ease of doing business.”

The BMA is actively using technology and academic partnerships, including a data-collection initiative with the University of the West Indies, to gather critical market intelligence, improve operational standards and enhance productivity across the industry, she said.

(RR)