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But How Well Is Barbados Really Doing In Tourism When Compared With Some Of Our Caribbean Neighbours?

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The following figures are based on the ‘Latest Statistics 2007′ issued by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation on 20th November 2007.

Long Stay Visitors (all markets)

Barbados (period Jan-Sep) up 2.1%

Anguilla (period Jan-Aug) up 10.6%

Aruba (period Jan-Jul) up 6.9%

Bonaire (period Jan-Jun) up 13.9%

Cancun (period (Jan-Aug) up 36.5%

Cayman Islands (period Jan-Sep) up 8.8%

Curacao (period Jan-Jun) up 12.4%

Grenada (period Jan-Aug) up 9.3%

Canadian Market

Due to the value of the Canadian Dollars, there is a lot of optimism that Barbados can regain some of its lost market share and it was very encouraging to see a 5.1 % increase for the period Jan-Sep.

But for the same reporting period as above how did our sister destinations do?

Anguilla up 29.5%

Aruba up 6.4%

Bahamas up 16.6%

Bonaire up 19.7%

Cancun up 59.9%

Cayman Islands up 12.8%

Dominican Republic up 13.3%

Dominica up 33.4%

Jamaica up 27.7%

US Virgin Islands up 16%

Cruise Ship Passenger Arrivals

(same reporting period)

Barbados up 14.4%

Antigua and Barbuda up 56.1%

British Virgin Islands up 17.6%

Curacao up 17.1%

Grenada up 24.4%

St. Lucia up 61.8%

St. Vincent and the Grenadines up 65.9%

It is not clear whether any of the above destinations also received financial support in terms of a subsidy payable to Carnival Corporation to ‘guarantee a minimum of 400,000 passengers per year for three years’. Certainly if the argument was that Cruise Ship Operators were cutting back on South Caribbean cruises due to high oil costs, it does not hold any credibility, as at least 50% of the above ports are further south than Barbados is.

In the interests of fairness, I have to point out that I am only highlighting the destinations that are doing better than Barbados to illustrate if we really are spending our marketing dollars in the most productive way?

Adrian Loveridge

23 December 2007

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24 responses to “But How Well Is Barbados Really Doing In Tourism When Compared With Some Of Our Caribbean Neighbours?”

  1. David Avatar
    David

    Adrian L would it be fair to say that when we compare Barbados to many of the markets we should consider different factors?

    For example the smaller islands of the EC have been attracting more tourist because they have positioned themselves as unspoilt, spent more tourist dollars, represent immature and undeveloped markets which will now grow at a faster pace and airlift to many of those islands has increased in recent times.

  2. Adrian Loveridge Avatar
    Adrian Loveridge

    David..

    I think it would be fair in some cases.
    But, without analysing the return per Dollar spent with the other destinations, I think it would be difficult to draw an absolute conclusion.
    Currently, the BTA spends about $80 million per annun and has the added burden of repaying the US$15 million loan to Carnival Corporation taken out for CWC 2007.
    I just feel we, as a destination should be doing a lot better.
    For instance, the undisclosed amount paid to ‘guarantee 400,000 cruise ship per year for 3 years’ seems to be benefiting our neigbours more than us.

    And I could NOT agree that destinations like Aruba, Cancun, Cayman Islands and Curacao are ‘more immature and underdeveloped markets’.

    I really hope that whoever forms the next Government puts together, with the help of the private sector, a proper tourism masterplan for a five to ten year period.

  3. Bajanboy Avatar
    Bajanboy

    Adrian:

    It is the same thing year after year. Tourism officials make grand promises relating to new airlines, new markets and new initiatives in existing markets, and when the anticipated arrivals do not materialise, officials look for somewhere to lay blame and to deflect the responsibility.

    Quite often, the excuses they cite affect the region as a whole (such as exchange rates, terrorist fears, an unseasonably warm winters etc), but yet they are usually many destinations that still manage to register substantial gains.

    The truth is our tourism product is weak in certain areas and these weaknesses are not being addressed. Hence the need for discounting to get people to come to Barbados.

    Adrian, our mediocre tourism performance should also be highlighted in light of ever increasing BTA budgets. If would be interesting to do an analysis of regional tourism authority spends per tourist arrival to see what interesting trends are revealed.

  4. Adrian Loveridge Avatar
    Adrian Loveridge

    BajanBoy..

    Totally agree.
    Isn’t it though amazing that this research is not done as a matter of course?

    I am sure I heard correctly that VisitBritian, the tourism marketing agency for the UK has a smaller budget than the BTA.

    It makes you think eh!

  5. David Avatar
    David

    Maybe alot of it has been a legacy from Barbados being the destination of choice for so many years. Managing from the seat of our pants will not cut it anymore. Barbados must work now more than ever to reposition our tourist product. What is our market? Who are we competing against? How can we build partnerships and alliances to maximize our dollar and market?

    We can go on and on.

  6. 900 lb Gorilliphant Avatar
    900 lb Gorilliphant

    Adrian Loveridge,

    Who are you trying to fool?

    Why don’t you also show the NUMBERS of long stay visitors as well for each country?

    You produced percentages, but percentages of WHAT?

    Compared to Barbados, countries such as Dominica are relative late-starters to the tourism business. Dominica with its 33.4% increase in long stay visitors is still FAR BEHIND Barbados when you count the NUMBER OF VISITORS.

    Tourism in Barbados in much more established than in many of those other countries, and contributes to a greater share of our national economy.

    Keep trying again, Mr. Englishman.

    You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.

    DECEPTION is your specialty.

  7. Wishing in Vain Avatar
    Wishing in Vain

    It would appear to me that our Tourism performance figures are laging way behind most of the caribbean in terms of real growth.

    This is excellent work by Adrian Loveridge to educate us that even when we report growth our growth is stunted by the growth of those markets all around us.

  8. 900 lb Gorilliphant Avatar
    900 lb Gorilliphant

    (FORMAT REVISED)

    Adrian Loveridge,

    Unlike you, I have not OMITTED any countries. I have also provided the link to the source document.

    SOURCE:

    CARIBBEAN TOURISM ORGANIZATION
    LATEST STATISTICS 2007
    November 20, 2007

    http://www.onecaribbean.org/information/documentview.php?rowid=4476

    Statistics sorted by NUMBER OF ARRIVALS

    Country – Period – Tourist Arrivals – % Change

    Dominican Republic , Jan-Aug , 2,843,395 , -0.60%

    Cuba , Jan-Aug , 1,491,979 , -7.80%

    Cancun (Mexico) , Jan-Aug , 1,490,737 , 36.50%

    Bahamas , Jan-Jul , 983,774 , -9.10%

    Jamaica , Jan-Jun , 866,307 , -2.90%

    Puerto Rico , Jan-Jun , 765,863 , -6.70%

    US Virgin Islands , Jan-Sep , 532,980 , 0.90%

    Aruba , Jan-Jul , 435,831 , 6.90%

    Barbados , Jan-Sep , 429,676 ,
    2.10%

    Martinique , Jan-Aug , 371,895 , 1.20%

    St. Maarten , Jan-Jun , 256,053 , -0.70%

    Bermuda , Jan-Sep , 243,294 , 2.80%

    Cayman Islands , Jan-Sep , 220,919 , 8.80%

    Antigua & Barbuda , Jan-Oct , 212,792 , 1.20%

    St. Lucia , Jan-Aug , 200,812 , -7.70%

    British Virgin Islands , Jan-May , 177,236 , -2.50%

    Curacao , Jan-Jun , 130,958 , 12.40%

    Grenada , Jan-Aug , 92,872 , 9.30%

    Trinidad & Tobago , Jan-Feb , 80,771 , -5.80%

    Belize , Jan-Mar , 77,756 , 2.40%

    Suriname , Jan-May , 70,935 , 22.30%

    St. Vincent & Grenadines , Jan-Aug , 66,479 , -4.70%

    Anguilla , Jan-Aug , 59,499 , 10.60%

    Cozumel (Mexico) , Jan-Feb , 57,075 , 35.10%

    Dominica , Jan-Jun , 38,118 , -1.80%

    Bonaire , Jan-Jun , 36,928 , 13.90%

    Saba , Jan-Sep , 9,058 , 2.60%

    Guyana , Jan , 8,933 , 9.50%

    Montserrat , Jan-Sep , 5,216 , -1.80%

  9. theNickster Avatar
    theNickster

    Like visitor numbers mean something, even “Lynch” likes to tout those numbers around as some kind of medal. How much tourism dollars are hemorrhaged every year through mismanagement on top of operational expenses. If we fixed the leaky barrel we could still survive if those beloved numbers dropped. Thats the mentality with this administration; pump more water through the straw to compensate for the holes.

  10. 900 lb Gorilliphant Avatar
    900 lb Gorilliphant

    Adrian Loveridge,

    So much for your LIES and DECEPTION, Mr. Englishman.

  11. 900 lb Gorilliphant Avatar
    900 lb Gorilliphant

    The Nickster,

    Those are numbers you don’t like. But you can never change them.

    Just like the numbers you will see on 15 January 2008.

    ~ B ~ F ~ P ~ E ~

  12. Adrian Loveridge Avatar
    Adrian Loveridge

    900lb Gorilliphant…

    Another person that appears not to have made use of our educational system.

    If you are able to read please see the last paragraph of my submission –

    ‘In the interests of fairness, I have to point out that I am only highlighting the destinations that are doing better than Barbados to illustrate if we really are spending our marketing Dollars in the most productive way?’

    If you would like me to re-submit the article using SMALLER words that you may be able to understand, I would be happy to oblige.

    Funny isn’t it, percentages and statistics only seem credible to some people, when they are quoting them.

    ‘90,000’ long stay visitors for the week of the CWC final.
    plus
    ‘75,000 cruise ship passengers’
    plus
    ‘700 yachts’

  13. 900 lb Gorilliphant Avatar
    900 lb Gorilliphant

    Adrian Loveridge,

    “If you are able to read please see the last paragraph of my submission –

    In the interests of fairness, I have to point out that I am only highlighting the destinations that are doing better than Barbados to illustrate if we really are spending our marketing Dollars in the most productive way?”

    LIAR.

    Doing better than Barbados in which way?

    By the percentages which you HAND-PICKED?

    Or by the number of arrivals which you conveniently REMOVED from your presentation?

  14. 900 lb Gorilliphant Avatar
    900 lb Gorilliphant

    Adrian Loveridge,

    “I have to point out that I am only highlighting the destinations that are doing better than Barbados to illustrate if we really are spending our marketing Dollars in the most productive way?”

    Nonsense.

    What do the figures for arrivals in other countries have to do with how we spend our marketing dollars?

    What is the connection?

    You have not provided any data on marketing dollars for ANY of those countries.

    How much is Barbados spending?

    How much is Antigua spending?

    How much is Dominica spending?

  15. Wishing in Vain Avatar
    Wishing in Vain

    900 lb of whatever there is no need for that on this site you are uncouth.

  16. Adrian Loveridge Avatar
    Adrian Loveridge

    WIV…

    Don’t worry, I am getting quite used to it.
    Do you think 900 lb Gorilliphant is related to 1000 lb of Blubber?

    900 lb Gorilliphant..

    Just who sacked me, of any colour?

    I would have had to be employed by someone to have been sacked.

    Another Lie eh?

  17. » Violent Threats in the Tropical Paradise of Barbados Keltruth Corp.: News Blog of Keltruth Corp. – Miami, Florida, USA.

    […] 14, 2007 at 2:39 am up to the present December 22, 2007 at 10:30 pm. (Mere mention of the surname Loveridge usually provokes threats and racial […]

  18. Roger Rabbitt Avatar
    Roger Rabbitt

    AL
    It is evident that our educational system is in shambles when we have the BLP operatives changing names while presenting the same hogwash. Nothing to counter what you have stated, only personal attacks. No wonder we are in this mess as a country.
    In the absence of anything coming from our tourism ministry, I will have to take your word for it.
    900 lb gorrilla is just that. A gorrilla.
    Adrian L, may I suggest that you ignore these vermin. Nuff said.

  19. Observing Avatar
    Observing

    Lynch has played with numbers and figures from day one.

    Adrian, is there anyway to get a ratio of money spent to percentage change? That would be an interesting comparison there.

  20. Adrian Loveridge Avatar
    Adrian Loveridge

    Observing…

    I think a lot more has to be done to properly evaluate our tourism sector.
    I really cannot see how we can spend so much money based of sample exit surveys results.
    It is clear even when professional people compile data, the policymakers do not seem
    to be guided by it.
    A classic case is the report prepared by the Ministry of Tourism with regard to the loss of airline seats and airlift (Air Challenge – Barbados Advocate) and then the Minister says something quite contrary.

    I think we have to go back to the basics and start asking simple questions like:

    How do we calculate long stay visitor arrival numbers?
    How do we calculate average stay and spend?

    What percentage of this spend stays within Barbados?

    etc. etc.etc.

  21. Fred Avatar
    Fred

    It is with great amazement that on driving pass GLITTER BAY RESORT today that I noticed that this will no longer be operating as a hotel this too is now being converted into condos, this must rate as an act of absolute madness by the idiot for the Minister of Tourism Blarney Noeless Lynch.
    ANOTHER HOTEL BITES THE DUST and not a word is said to the public about his plan to bulk up the hotel room numbers.
    Where is this magical growth going to stem from when our hotel room stock is declining every day????

  22. E Avatar
    E

    What is B’dos’ true 2007 position when the shambles that was CWC is discounted. theNickster is spot on. The BTA has existed on Hollywood style excesses under Lynch as Minister and all Boards and CEOs under him.

  23. Adrian Loveridge Avatar
    Adrian Loveridge

    E//

    For the first 4 months of 2007, including the period of hosting the CWC, Barbados recorded a net gain of just 44 long stay visitors over 2006.

    Yes! April 2007 saw an substantial increase in visitor arrivals over 2006, but we lost all the benefit in January, February and March.

    In terms of net tourism earnings, the losses in January, February and March were higher than the increased revenue in April.

    These are NOT my statistics, just go on to the CTO’s website.

    The reality is that even if we reach the quoted target of a 3% increase in long stay visitor arrivals, unless you take inflation into account, the increase is almost meaningless.

    Industry watchers will have objectively judge for themselves the record of the current minister and the BLP administration over the last 13 years.

    27 closed hotels.
    2,000 tourism sectors jobs lost between 2002 and 2004.
    Still no audited accounts for the last SIX years of trading of Hotels and Resorts Ltd (GEMS).
    The US$15 million loan to charter Carnival Destiny.
    The yet undisclosed subsidy to Carnival Corporation to ‘guarantee 400,000 cruise ship passengers over the next three years’ and yet many our Caribbean neighbours have registered up to 65% growth WITHOUT any subsidy.

    etc, etc, etc.

  24. Rohan Avatar
    Rohan

    Hopefully things improve in the coming years or my website will be in vain.
    Just wanted to say that I really like your blog. I’ve been lurking for some time.

The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.

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