The newly elected President of the Barbados Hotel Tourism Association (BHTA) Patricia Affonsso-Dass in an interview with Voice of Barbados (VOB) today was damning in her expectation for the season.
Listen to what she had to say:
President Of The BHTA Patricia Affonsso-Dass Sounds The Alarm
The newly elected President of the Barbados Hotel Tourism Association (BHTA) Patricia Affonsso-Dass in an interview with Voice of Barbados (VOB) today was damning in her expectation for the season. Listen to what she had to say: Audio Clip 1 , Audio Clip 2
85 responses to “President Of The BHTA Patricia Affonsso-Dass Sounds The Alarm”
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LOL @ Islandgal….you very defensive…
Ah you dat..? -
Bushie I am an island gal and will always be an island gal. LOLL
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And By the way WATCHING..you watching and ent seeing. How can you say that Guyana is a non Tourist country? Are you so BACKWARD that you don’t know one shoite bout the Tourism Industry in the Caribbean. You feel that BIM is the only Tourist country in the region? Looka doan mek myh laff out loudly. Have you been into the interior of Guyana ( I plan to visit one day)? Have you been to the beautiful Kiateur Falls? Have you ever travelled along the great Amazon river? Many Tourist are paying BIG bucks to do trips like that. I ent nuh Guyanese BUT let us give Jack his Jacket, the sun doan only shine up Bim’s arse!
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Bajans need to take pride in their jobs (Tourist Area) . Bajans don’t like to smile & be nice,it too hard! Service in Bim (a self professed 1st world country) is surly and indifferent ! Ya tink people gine pay for dat! A culture of casual indifference is not a asset to a Tourism driven economy. Certain Bajans are service oriented, but most of dem don’t give a sh*te !!
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@Redman,
It is really hard to smile when you are suffering. That is my belief.
I once told a relative that I spent more on food daily (while vacationing in Barbados) than he was paying his employees so don’t expect them to smile and don’t be surprised if they tief.
I have always listened to ordinary Bajans and there is a lot of resentment and unhappiness in their psyche.
Capitalism breeds discontent amongst the disadvantaged and in Barbados it could be responsible for the snarly visage of some service providers.
Now the minister is suggesting that Bajans should come home for vacations instead of going to the Dominican republic or other such destination.
Those of us who have relatives to stay with will gladly come home but if you have to stay in a hotel the problem is PRICE.
Does Barbados have All inclusive for cad $495 ?
Bajans use the internet to search for Vacation packages and we fall into the category wunna don’t encourage. T Shirt tourisses.
The focus on Villa and upscale tourism has come back to bite yuh butt.
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Old, Old Song.
Beautiful, Beautiful, Barbados
(The other lyrics have been omitted to protect the innocent)
(new lyrics welcome) -
David | July 21, 2012 at 11:17 AM |
Does anyone know her background besides the fact she manages a couple of hotels in Barbados? She appears to have an accent?
David what do you exactly want to know about this woman? Her shoe size? Hers bra size? Where she was conceived? Who is she sleeping with? Why shouldn’t she have an accent? David you are showing up your small island mindedness. I am very disappointed in you with this statement, I held you to a higher order.
Perhaps you should have asked about her professional background and stick with that!
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Say what!!!
“To use our Prime Minister’s famous phrase, the nipples would be sore?”
mmmmmmm
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@Islandgal246 ,
People who choose to be in Public office should be scrutinized.
She is the head of the BHTA and she is asking the PM for tax concessions and more of your tax dollars.
She also quoted the PM with regards to “sore nipples” which I am sure Island246 would not have done in an interview with The Nation.
mmmmmm
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@islandgal246
Although BU has not written about it yet, we took umbrage to the tone (level of disrespect) which the BHTA hierarchy and others in private sector have been lobbing at the office of prime minister. Ours is a simple query, we do not know anything about the lady except she speaks with a Guyanese lilt.
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Couldnt agree with you more David since taking over the Hotel Assoc. the Dass person has launched an all out attack on the government. Whoever is goading her should warn her Bajans are not amused at her disrespectful garbage. Few have ever heard of her and are clueless why she is attacking the gov of the country which that has given her a safe haven if indeed she is Guyanese. The same applies to Peter Boos.
Island gal like she suffering from the lack of the same thing Mary Redman lacks. Bush tea the Bush man like he is not performing correctly he’s got island gal miserable and yearning.
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Passing thru….pass yuh rass fast!
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Looka Bushie Crosses Nuh!!!
…wunna see how ‘passing thru’ going and make the bushman get cuss now… and possible some licks from islandGuy -
Bushie I ent gine let out yuh secret or your size it is between me and yuh! Passing thru just pass thru me in de toilet.
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Well ! well! oh what a revelation. Fancy, tell me is it in my heart or in my head. I really cannot comprehend all that is happening. I waited expectantly to hear from the Minister of Tourism to see if he would have slipped in a little something about tourism but me get disappoint. A hundred and twenty three people from his ministry and social circle paid for by taxpayers on an air excursion. What result from dat?
Moody would pour scorn on dat type of expenditure. How much BDS did all of dat cost Mr Minister?
Mr Minister you must answer, don’t bluff, don’t huff and don’t puff. -
Bush Tea ”The BHTA, and all others who expect to continue the ‘business of enticing the rich and famous to come and indulge themselves’ to continue as before, are jackasses. The rich are scared stiff. All that they have worked for, cheated, robbed and gambled to accumulate now seems shallow and fragile… Somewhat like the CLICO “insurance policies” and other nest eggs that were to assure our futures…
————–That is the problem. People still do not seem to understand, that the US, Canada are still in recession, Europe on the brink of economic collapse and the UK struggling with fiscal deficit and a recession also.
That makes people, either forced or voluntarily unable to spend on vacations etc. It also makes investments ‘potentially’ worthless aka the stockmarkets.
The low interest rates mean that those with investments in stocks and bonds, cannot use interest to spend and they dare not use their capital / savings.
A brutal scenario. Hence, as you know, repeated calls for what we can do for ourselves, rather than always depend on the tourists,
BUT, such things as service, cleanliness of hotels, cleanliness of island and safety, lack of harrassment etc, do go towards an improved product and it is those ‘no cost’ ideals that ‘should’ be easily fixed. But, those are cultural, on the part of owners and owrkers and citizens, still living on the old reputation of our tourism product.
Like a building, anything involving service to a customer, needs constant maintenance to be the best.
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When you put all your eggs in one basket…you gotta make sure they do not rot.
Apart from the fact that Barbados now has what one can only describe as a tired destination that needs a serous clean-up act – from environment to prices and services as I posted above, we have always looked only at North America and Europe for ‘fine’ visitors, never once thinking that there are ‘fine’ people in other parts of the world. I have never understood this. As I write for several Caribbean magazines (and previously when I wrote for The Gleaner, Jamaica) I always encouraged Caribbean people to visit other Caribbean islands, Barbados included. But I always talked food. Why? because it does not take a rocket scientist to look up the figures that are available on the internet about the spending power of ‘foodies’ and how they travel worldwide for that extra taste and also for the experience of knowledge on foods. I for instance know a few people who leave the US to pay big money (US$2,500 per week not including air-fare) to go to places like Italy, stay at a farm, work in the farm (yes! I said work!!) learn about the various foods grown and then get lessons of cooking same at night by the farmer’s wife! Hello???? Are we raas sleeping? I wish I could afford a farm. True. True. True.
However back to reality. Of all the islands (actually I include Antigua in this too and St. Kitts – perhaps changes have been made since I was last there a few years back, I do not know) Barbados to this day continues to negate what other islands do…push their local traditional food…in fact not even ‘push’…it just comes natural to offer it. From street food to high-end restaurants.
In Barbados we have national pride in our food for ourselves…cook a bad meal for your man or woman and you will see how dat pride does jump out at ya with one large bellow. But…dining out? That pride outta de window one time. Our food not good enough. Try and get something really really traditional without having to go to a van lady (or man like Clovis in Sunset Crest!) or Cheapside market – all their food being divine intervention by the way. Once food leaves the hallowed halls of our home (apart from those two entities just mentioned) our food suddenly turns into some quasi half-arsed mix …Take Oistins for instance…we are offered fish with American barbecue sauce from a bottle (Nasty Hickory no less!) and American chips to go with it. Flying fish and other fish with no real seasoning like in the old days, just sprinkled with nasty MSG red or yellow powder seasoning…I am not saying all… just mostly all for the sake of fast sales leave out the most important parts of food preparation. Yes! The place crowded. Yes! The tourist love it. Because it is the only place they can get as close to local as is advertised…cheaper than a restaurant (although expensive in my eyes for what you get!) plus several beers or rums later, some effort to wine up with a man or woman and… who cares how the food taste or if it local or not. Plus dem doan know better. High-end restaurants on the other hand serve up gourmet food from abroad that unfortunately cannot meet the expectations in taste and bill because ALL is imported and if you’re a foodie with a discerning palate, you will know this, and not return. Remember I said ‘foodies’ not rich people who wish to be seen nightly dining at the best for the sake of dining and showing off their big money or platinum cards but real ‘foodies’ that want real good absolutely delicious traditional food from the island presented in gourmet fashion taken up into glorious heavenly tastes that give them orgasmic thoughts. These are the ones that will come here in droves. I am not saying that ALL restaurants gotta do this but hey! can we not have a mix. Must we always open the same old same old back to back. Anyone out there with innovative ideas? Lawd have is mercy.
When I bring visitors, friends, to my house and give them a real breadfruit or corn coucou with creole saltfish, sliced pickled cucumbers, sliced hard-boiled eggs, fried plantain and 3-types of home-made pepper sauce…people does bawl…in fact some Bajans have bawled too ’cause they have stopped cooking at home and KFC seems a great meal to them! And when I season my flying fish in the grooves the ole’ time way with Bajan seasoning made from fresh herbs…lawd have is mercy. None of that deep frying in batter for me! The late Norma Shirley, the Julia Child of the Caribbean although I liked to call her The Grand Dame of Caribbean Cuisine, took local fresh everything and turned it into a magnificent gourmet meal without ever compromising that real Caribbean taste. She trained young Jamaicans, some who could not even read or write to produce same. Her reputation knew no boundaries for excellence but she worked hard…every dish leaving her kitchen had to have her approval. You will never go to any Jamaican side-ah-road or high end restaurant and get Ackee & Saltfish made with anything but fresh ingredients and the traditional way. Not even for the tourises dem. They get the real thing. Same happens in Trinidad, and the French, Spanish speaking islands. Go to Dominica, ya getting real Dominican fare (as Carol Roberts who just went there for the first time has more than once expounded on radio since her return!). St. Lucia de same. In high-end restaurants using the basic traditions, amazing dishes are created taking them up a notch and into the most discerning of palates with gusto and joy!
Imagine I had a meal in Paris that catapulted me into heaven without dying. Antilles Boudin on a bed of mashed potatoes with a delicious dark sauce of onions and garlic. This dish was in honour of their French Caribbean islands. Antilles meaning Caribbean. Boudin is nothing else but black pudding from Martinique. And of course they grow their own delicious potatoes. The menu advertises subliminally their island paradises – Martinique, Guadeloupe et al.
So although we have work to do on the island to lure the few that have money left in the world of collapsing finances…one of the most important areas is the food. Just my opinion. Our Chefs must be enticed to use our ingredients. Oh! I had a young Chef make me a coucou & flying fish sushi the other day…lawd have is mercy…sweet for days…so perhaps the young Chefs are the ones who will realize the potential of what is traditional.
So with food in mind it brings us to agriculture. If the government does not pay attention to this sector, ‘foodies’ will never be part of the tourism package. If farmers continue to use pesticides and think that GMOs are the answer…dem wrong. I see now that even the US taking the GMO situation very seriously all of a sudden…people will not have it. However, not to worry about Monsanto…they have Barbados to pour their genetically modified seeds into and their delicious RoundUp right behind. Wait ’till the first child born ’bout hey with six arms and legs.
By the way…encouraged by the things I write and knowing this is the way to go for health – and therefore wealth – Mojo’s on the South Coast have opened their new Chopping Board Kitchen with their own ‘backyard’ garden with fresh herbs, tomatoes, lettuces etc. They have made deals with a local organic chicken farmer…I have put them in contact with an organic pork farmer…they go to the market to shop or have organic veggies (as much as possible) delivered. Their food attests to their clean choices. And guess what? All their take-away containers are environmentally friendly. The owners are committed to keeping it fresh and clean…and their prices also reflect good thinking. They have also publicly announced their commitment to continue moving forward into other areas like recycling etc.I am so very proud of them and so should the whole of Barbados be. Someone has been brave enough to do the right thing. Hopefully there will be a domino effect.
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Heard on the BBC Radio International that food prices are expected to climb significantly in the coming months. This would be due to the prolonged drought in the grain belt of the USA and frenzied speculation on the commodities and futures markets. Japan, China and the UK are also facing food production challenges given the recent excess rains but are in a better position to have priority access to import from the reduced production on the world markets
SOS to the Minister of Agriculture: Get our agricultural house in order to mitigate the effects of this coming food crisis on the world market.
We can’t handle the current prolonged financial and economic crisis and still be up against a food crisis. -
@millertheanunnaki – well said. And repeat “You cannot put all your eggs in one basket” in this case ‘imported’ eggs!!!
The unfortunate thing that I have found is that people who are in charge and have the power to make changes, will not do so mostly only because the idea was not theirs in the first place. They hate to think that others might know something they did not and if they go and do what they’ve learned people will say “boy he had to hear it from some one else, he muss’e dumb as you know what.”
One of the healthiest things in life is to listen. Listen to reason. One of the joys of listening is that your learn, and can make yourself seem a King by implementing what you learn. You are nothing but a dodo bird if you listen, hear and ignore because you did not come up with the talk in the fuss’ place. But then…try and change what we nuse’ to. Ah well…we shall see as the blind man said.
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The AG is quoted in the Nation today that he would not have touched Four Seasons since it was a private endeavor and that the private investors should have been made to sort it out themselves. That was exactly what many of us on BU have been saying all along. Now that we have been reduced to junk bond status where does that leave the project? I don’t see how viable this project will be when investors won’t be able to get their money back or have problems getting their money back. Another badly thought out investment by the government and a wastage of our NIS funds. When are these people going to learn that the NIS funds is not monopoly money and the real estate is not monopoly real estate. They have lost the game big time for real!
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The Minister of Finance said on CBC a few days ago that the NIS has billions to invest and what better way taking into consideration the risky business of investing abroad or the low interest received having this money sitting in a local bank, but to invest in Barbados. And went on to say that the NIS investing in the government of Barbados held no risk at all. Now now Island Gal…we must listen to those who know better than us, hear?
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@Rosemary
A delightful little missive. Let us hope the powers that be who frequent BU see the opportunity to stuff their manifestos with this nugget.
fyi…
#7 – Surfers Point – Barbados.
Congratulations Zed, lets hope the BTA run with it?
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/surf-schools/
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Now back to the real world:
Philadelphia – GONE
Atlanta – GONE
Dallas – GOING 19 August
San Juan – Going March 2013London – BA and Virgin Atlantic DOWN
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Scrupie | July 23, 2012 at 8:43 AM
Go change your name to Stupidee.
Bdos Underground long ago discussed ad naseum the stupid topic you bring up again.
I worked at Redjet when the trip you’re blogging about took place. Each person on the trip paid their own airfare and their own accomodation not one red cent came from the Government. Redjet fares if you are not too ignorant to remember were dirt cheap, one of the big reasons I presume the group made the trip.
An even bigger Sagicor group was booked to make a similar trip to Panama when Redjet went belly up.It turned out the uneconomical low fares was one the main reasons Redjet went bankrupt and forced me to change jobs.
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How can we continue to ignore 75 million reviews on TripAdvisor?
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@DAvid
“How can we continue to ignore 75 million reviews on TripAdvisorThe same way we ignore best advice, completed and evaluated proposals, new technologies and the voices of home grown experts.
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Hey there! I just noticed your web site: President Of The
BHTA Patricia Affonsso-Dass Sounds The Alarm | Barbados Underground when I was surfing around digg.com. It looks as though someone appreciated your site so much they decided to bookmark it.
I’ll surely be coming back here more often. -
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