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
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85 responses to “President Of The BHTA Patricia Affonsso-Dass Sounds The Alarm”
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I wont be surprised if she gets hammered by the DLP operatives tomorrow for her comments.
I am quite surprised as Minister Sealy instead of dealing with this important ministry during the budget debate instead tried to make fun of Mia. He is another incompetent Minister.
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The MoF indicated on Tuesday that Minister Sealy will be tabling the Tourism Master Strategy in the parliament shortly.
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@ David | July 19, 2012 at 8:23 PM |
This Tourism Master Plan would consume the little time remaining before Parliament goes on its “summer” recess.
So we would not see a re-emerged Cultural Industry Bill or even Integrity legislation before the next General Elections. There is no way that Freundel can carry us down to the constitutional wire within these serious economic times when drastic decisions have to be taken if we are not to end up at the IMF door steps again thus ceding our economic sovereignty to a bunch of faceless no-elected “administration” officials from overseas. -
What Dass said is a recurring decimal with every BHTA president and spokesperson.
Tourism has been in crisis it appears since the inception of the BHTA. No joke can anyone be it journalist, historian or researcher find a year when the BHTA did not tell the country the Tourism industry is in crisis or dire straits?
A bunch of white people most of whom are super rich run the tourism sector particularly the locally owned component. Over a very long time these leeches have never offered up an upbeat view of the industry which made them very wealthy. They categorically blame the government for ALL real or perceived short comings.
Yet still Barbados has done exceptionally well in tourism over a long period with the odd decline coinciding with severe world recessions. If Mia’s figure of $500 million, from who knows where, is given to local hoteliers you can guarantee they will be back in a month or two with outstreched hands for more complaining a la Dass that the industry is in dire straits.
Listen to Dass for whatever length of time she is president and you can bet she will not deviate from the messages of doom and gloom in tourism, government is to be blamed and the hotels need more incentives and more taxpayer funding -
the business of tourism depresses me …
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I get depressed when I see comments like Back to the future’s.
This has got way beyond the normal debate about a “bunch of rich white people” versus “us”.
Hotels are closing. Jobs are being lost. Tourists are not coming. International businesses are leaving. The public sector is not performing efficiently. Interest rates are rising. The probability of a currency devaluation is increasing. Meanwhile Government is fiddling while Rome burns.
Government has to make some difficult economic decisions, rather than blame its problems on the rest of the world. We must (unfortunately) see job losses in the public sector and higher taxes – yet again. There will be pain.
But Government is leaderless and hoping it can get re-elected on the basis that it protected public sector jobs.
I can only see the arrival of a BLP Government – the arch-exponents of public sleaze.
Woe is Barbados. -
BAFBFP
I agree with you, our idea of tourism is so basic and lacking in innovation. It is basically modern day tokenism and servicing massa.
No innovation around unique themes or storylines to make us a distinctive brand. Simply teaching our bright young people how to serve and clean up after massa for littke pickingsSo sad
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Well, I’m a tourist even though I have family there and I’ve been visiting every year since 1995. No longer will I go to Rockly beach. I’ve been verbally assaulted at Enterprise beach by hostile Bajan’s to the point where I left to avoid further hostility. There is no worthwhile security at Barbados public beaches and frankly I’m tired of being approached by drug dealers in broad daylight. I could go on but what’s the point? I really don’t think anything will be done about it..
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Well, well, well. I thought Barbados’ Tourism industry was the finest in the world. I thought Barbados knew exactly what it was doing. I have been screaming for years that the product would soon be in trouble if the country did not wake up. There is so much more to tourism than beach and sea and let me throw in sex here too. But living in yesteryear does not help anyone…why would this little island expect that it would. We have been sleeping. Time to wake up and smell the coucou. Our hotels’ culinary offerings have failed. Our hotels’ service has failed. Our hotels’ prices have failed. Our hotels’ excluding the Caribbean in their tourism thrust has failed. Our hotels’ Staycation has failed. Our paying airlines to bring people here has failed. Our NISE program with the pig has certainly failed. Immigration has failed. The welcome at the airport has failed. The policing of the country has failed. Communications have failed. The high cost of living because there are those intent on digging out people eye while fattening their wallets has NOT failed. So wheel up and come again or the island with fail. Love this rock and it is so sad to see the For Sale signs up back to back everywhere. Sorry to say it but in my capacity as a culinary consultant and contributor to several magazines, I travel all over the Caribbean and beyond…and what do I see tourism products that work. Simple things that have kept people coming over and over to the same destination up to this day. But then….I am just white and a dumb blonde to boot. Yes…we love to talk “white” and “us” so I have decided to put meself in into the right category one time before the barrage of “who she tink she is” begins. The failure of the tourism product in this country can be blamed on government, owners of hotels and its general public. Not one group. ALL. And I am just naming the groups in the order of their position in the country not blaming one more than the other. So so very sad.
Guess what? For a change…create a committee of real creatives with no agenda – meaning NO AGENDA BUT THE COUNTRY’S AGENDA…and watch what could happen. Leave out the politricks of inclusion…leave out interference by the powers that be. Bet we could come up with much to save the island…I am prepared to form such a committee…ooops! I done disclose I am white…and this would clearly not be a good thing to do…the wrath of the Lord above and His people below will come down ‘pun me even more than it has for years and years. Sorry guys…gotta leave it to the country itself and to the rocket scientists of all other hues we have ’bout hey!
God save Barbados…’cause it is after all God’s own private domain. Maybe the million and one churches we have can start bellowing to the heavens now…this definitely must work.
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And further more…another ooops! I forgot…we creatives are perceived to be at the bottom of the ladder of intelligence…(see the Creative Industries Bill) so the above proposal of perhaps sorting out the tourism sector is completely outta order.
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Well, well, well. I thought Barbados’ Tourism industry was the finest in the world. I thought Barbados knew exactly what it was doing.
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Woe is correct Rosie baby………what once was is no longer since these
JOKERS TEKK OVA…….Everything has changed…..maybe right thinking people will now wake up. -
Back to the future
Your comments are straight to the point and true, true, true. The BHTA seem to be always griping about something at least that’s how it comes over. That is not to say that the Government should not offer support to the industry. But wait, didn’t the government offer some kind of a loan or grant to the industry in 2008/2009 at the start of the recession.
As far as I am aware it’s nothing new to place employees on short hours or lay them off in the hotel industry. Persons who work in the industry especially the line staff -like cooks, stewards, etc. would tell you that they work a straight forty hour week from start of the winter season until probably around April/ May and these are not just persons brought in to cover for the winter season. Permanent staff are laid off too or put on short hours. This is a norm in the hotel industry and has been happening for years.
This recession should catapult the persons in the industry like the owners, BHTA and government to put heads together to determine the way forward for the industry and put some action to get the industry moving. I heard a snippet of an address the Secretary General of the CTO made at some function and he referred to research, my hope is that any research on tourism is extended to include every Barbadian. Remember the slogan – Tourism is our business, let us do our part. -
Laboring and Prospering with the LORD! ALL else IS* SINKING sand!
“UNLESS the LORD builds the house ( I.e., Family, business, NATION!) They labor in VAIN* who (try) to build it. UNLESS the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in VAIN.” ( Psa. 127:1) Emphasis added.
We ain’t SEE nothing yet; wait for the remainder of 2012 to unfold AROUND the world, economic HELL is around the corner, with ALL of its attendent miseries, go a figure out what they inevitably will be!
REPENT! REPENT! BARBADOS, or face the consequences of what we’ve SOWED!
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Rich Oppressors Will Be Judged.
“Come now, you rich, WEEP and HOWL for your MISERIES that are coming upon YOU! Your riches are CORRUPTED, and your CORROSION will be a WITNESS against you and will EAT your flesh like FIRE. You have heaped up treasure in the LAST DAYS. You have lived on the earth in PLEASURE and luxury; you have FATTENED your hearts as in a day of slaughter. you have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you” (James 5:1,2,3, 5).
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Rosemary Parkinson | July 20, 2012 at 5:18 AM |
Disagree with you RP on failure of Bdos tourist industry. What of the UNESCO inscription, the boardwalks south coast and west coast to come, what Doyle accomplishing at the Crane should be emulated. Barbados has more airlift than anywhere else in Eastern Caribbean. Bdos owns LIAT the biggest airline in region 21 countries served. Millions of dollars and financial inducements are avaialble to assist hotels from GOB coffers. .MOF annnounced $50 million more for hotels to tap into in budget and $5million more for marketing by tourist board. Land tax freeze for hotels. Hoteliers should switch their energy and focus from hammering government and place them into working with GOB with optimism and a positive attitude.
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Zoe PISS OFF! GET A LIFE!
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“Disagree with you RP on failure of Bdos tourist industry. What of the UNESCO inscription, the boardwalks south coast and west coast to come,”
Observing your observation skills are quite poor and you sound like the Minister himself trying to make himself look good. Observing which planet are you on? Do you think that the UNESCO inscription and the boardwalks has made our Tourism a success? Hell if that is the yardstick you are using to measure the success of this industry you are doing yourself and this country a disfavour.
“Hoteliers should switch their energy and focus from hammering government and place them into working with GOB with optimism and a positive attitude.”
What a load of cow dung! You really now sound like Seeeleee !
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Urgent Message:
To: The local Tourism officials and MoT (Minister of Talk instead of Tourism)
From: The Tourism Bird of FlightGoodbye Barbados, Cuba there we go! Both tourists and investors!
You really believe Brits are so stupid as to continue paying such high APDs (Air Passenger Duties) to come to a place where harassment, bold faced robbery, peddling of drugs, Chinese trinkets, offers of sex on eroding beaches littered with garbage and used condoms is a constant challenge wherever they go. The rot has started to set in Oistins on Friday nights. Check the state of the public toilets (washrooms) and the number of vagrants and drug pushers invading the place.
Bridgetown is even worse.
To be confronted with these issues and then be asked to pay premium prices for accommodation, food and services is really asking too much while killing the goose that once laid the golden eggs. -
LOL @ Islandgal
If you knew what was good for you, you would apologize and listen to Zoe. He is BANG on in his above assessments…..
…a word to the wise is sufficient….
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Observing…you certainly have observed stuff that I have not. Bless. Boardwalk? UNESCO? How sweet it is. If tourism was based only on those two things, we would not have a thing to worry about. De rock would be pure gold.
And to bring Leaving Island At Any Time (LIAT) as the big tourism plus…well that certainly puts the diamond on the gold. Bless.
And yes…you are right…we certainly have a lot of planes coming in…more probably than the rest of the Caribbean…you seem to know….but wey de people sitting in those seats…well I can tell ya…some passing through and some non-existent…invisible more like it. The subsidized ones (by whom again?) bringing in the invisible passengers, of course.. Hail to all the various planes!
And with all those millions the government receiving to put into tourism…wow! So then what is the beef? We should be all in a place of wonder and joy. Heaven itself. Hail again!
And as for “Hoteliers should switch their energy and focus from hammering government and place them into working with GOB with optimism and a positive attitude.” Cannot agree with you more…but if GOB does not work hand in hand…then? Remember the cost of electricity alone could break a hotel…it breaking me in my tiny little apartment where L&P seem to believe it is okay to give me monthly bills that shock the white outta me….Fuel costs they keep telling us? Hmmm…wonder who making all de money outta dat and mekking people see shite when ‘paying-up-day’ come. Wonder who let Emera arrive on our shores with their fast self to rip off Bajans even further than we being ripped off already? How come with such a huge tourism industry that is the best in the world…instead of having a fuel ingesting power company, the powers that be have not thought of wind and sun? No money in dat I guess. Perhaps all those millions soon to come to us will be invested in reducing those costs so that hoteliers will have nothing much else to complain about. Or will it all go to trips abroad to spread the Barbados word before we fix Barbados? Hail again.
And by the way…just in case you believe Observing that I am ‘politrickal’ in any way…it is called *not*. The only politics I am interest in is *love of country*, *national pride*, *beautiful, beautiful Barbados (both in and out). Nutting else. Could not care less who in power…just want “them” to love “us” (de people dem) more. And eff you think that I am in awe of those who in the private sector rip us off daily so they can live big…I would like to see them also love “us” more. Only then shall we be what we should be – pure platinum. Huge big enormous hail to dat!
Island Girl – what can I say? Are you blind, deaf and dumb like me? Count the tourism dollars brought in now and make an estimation one time on how much UNESCO designation and boardwalk will bring in for our future. Do the same for LIAT. Nuff. Nuff. Let mu tell ya. Ha ha ha haaaa….Lawd help muh do ’cause we all doing so well, we should really be a happy bunch!
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Perhaps most of us bloggers live in fairy tale land, …..we certainly can’t be living in 2012…..else it would be OBVIOUS that we have entered a completely NEW era of decline. The days of plenty are ended – and the days of decline and famine are upon us.
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……who goes off on ‘holiday’ in such uncertainty…?
Our behinds are in the grass, as Zoe has so clearly articulated… If we were wise, we would, even at this late stage, be looking for some kind of SOLID ROCK upon which to place our hope in the future….
The reality is ‘that rock’ is our own productivity and innovation in producing the things that we need to live our physical lives, and even more importantly, meeting the requirements to ensure the future of our spiritual lives…..
….but we prefer to hang on to old dreams….
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alot has to be done to rebuild the tourism not just talk
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The greedy would always be amongst and so too the POOR but who should be fed the most as is now the GReedy are the ones making the loudest noise to them isay “go to the ant consider her ways and be wise”
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Bushtea…go fry ice with Zoe you ole fart!
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@all
imitation is the purest form of flattery.Observing @ 7:51 is not the real Observing
Just Observing
@back to the future
don’t kill the messenger@David re Master Strategy
wow, 4 years later, we hear it will be laid “shortly.” Probably should have said “with dispatch” or “in the fullness of time.”@Bushie
“The reality is ‘that rock’ is our own productivity and innovation in producing the things that we need to live our physical lives, and even more importantly, meeting the requirements to ensure the future of our spiritual lives”You should have this inscribed.
@imitation Observing
“working with GOB with optimism and a positive attitude.”We would need to see genuine optimism and a sincere positive attitude from GoB first. There is a growing disconnect that everyone except the GoB is seeing and feeling.
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@ Bush Tea
“Perhaps most of us bloggers live in fairy tale land, …..we certainly can’t be living in 2012…..else it would be OBVIOUS that we have entered a completely NEW era of decline. The days of plenty are ended – and the days of decline and famine are upon us.”
It’s called deleveraging at the micro and macroeconomic level – Economies, Countries,Governments, Businesses, Households, Individuals. Each and every one will be poorer.Once the adjustment is made then we will be back on the road to growth.
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@ Nostradamus
LOL
You are not consistent with your original namesake…. According to him, by the time the “adjustment has been made” we would have been knocked back into the dark ages…@ Islandgal
” fry ice….?” …does this mean that our recent budding affair is off….?@ Observing
Many bloggers may be observing, but there is only one “Observing”… -
Man Bushie HUSH.. D men hollar you can’t wuk up…..a bare straw boss like Um Um….(Penguin)
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Our Tourism product is out of date, flat, tasteless, without vision, unattractive, un-revised and over priced.
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Onions
You just jealous – cause you done know that Islandgal belong to the Bushman….. Any time she pass through the hills she well know that if ‘she slip, she slide….’ 🙂@ suhWarrior
…are you saying that tourism reflects the type of leadership it has had…?Can you imagine a leader of our so called number one industry, upon demitting office his biggest issue is that the PM did not ‘meet with him’…
Wha loss!!What leaders what??!!
We have VERY FEW leaders in any area in this place….mostly a set of parasites who maneuver themselves into position to see what they can get out of the position.
….now in the rare case where it appears that there IS someone who seems to be focused on RESULTS and on the real PURPOSE of his job (the students) we get another set of mock sticks want him transferred, fired, retired or worse – cause they don’t like his ‘style’..We always get EXACTLY what we deserve….and we deserve parasites like Dass, whose idea of leadership is for government to do everything needed for them to be wealthy…
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@Bush Tea | July 20, 2012 at 4:26 PM |
” …. What leaders what??!! We have VERY FEW leaders in any area in this place .. mostly a set of parasites who maneuver themselves into position to see what they can get out of the position.”Well said, Bushie! You are calling it like it is. But despite your moral reservations fashioned by your idiosyncratic sexual hang ups you must admit that Mia does stand out from the rest where vision for a future Bim is concerned.
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SuhWarrior | July 20, 2012 at 3:46 PM |
Our Tourism product is out of date, flat, tasteless, without vision, unattractive, un-revised and over priced.you realise its the private sector who owns the tourim product not Government.
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I am continuing my efforts to find a Canadian who is looking for something Barbados does not have as a Tourist destination.
I have an acquaintance who suggests Barbados has a good mix of Sun,Sea and Sand, nightly entertainment (Oistins, the Gap and Bert’s bar)
and eco tours (Naniki, Welchman hall gully etc.He believes the Hotels in general need to be cleaner.
I too observed that a lot of the Hotels need regular maintenance and painting
Some of the expensive restaurants do not pay attention to detail like one where I was served Mahi Mahi coated in brine.Until the economy gets better it would be wise for the Hoteliers to focus on making what they have better.
My grandmother used to sweep the soft stone steps and the dirt from around the house frequently. It made the yard look clean even though it was just dirt.Hoteliers you need to clean and paint your hotels.
Restaurants need to take care in preparing food.
Now the hot shot geniuses an educated lecturers on BU can prognosticate on the how to improve the Hotel industry in these difficult economic times.
Uh still waitin to see a BTA car in Toronto covered in Advertising.
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It appears in the brief time the President of the BHTA has assumed office her statements have been only negative.
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“Hoteliers you need to clean and paint your hotels.”
“Restaurants need to take care in preparing food.”Hants some very valid points you have made. We HAVE to start removing the garbage that surrounds our homes and streets and start beautifying and maintaining our surroundings.
Hotels MUST get their act together by improving their properties. For too long too many coats of paint have been covering cracks and now the paint can’t hide the cracks anymore. I was just on the south coast and was having lunch at Mama Mia’s ( really good food at reasonable prices especially their sandwiches) with my hubby, I glanced over to Coconut Court and saw someone taking a divan base from the house next door that serves as a store room. The divan base was grey with dirt and gaping holes on the side. I said to myself that they were probably going to the dump with that since there was a truck close by. No siree,I couldn’t believe my eyes the man carrying the dirty bed base passed the truck and mounted the staircase of the hotel. I said to my husband that I can’t believe that they are going to put that dirty looking torn bed base in a room for paying guests. My husband tongue in cheek responded perhaps that was for the poor guests.
So of these places that call themselves restaurants should be shut down. I am convinced that bad food sells. Many of these places lack atmosphere, their fare lack imagination and presentation and the food was forgettable. I can’t understand why we have such shoddy restaurants and poor service with a hotel school on the island.
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Rate This
David | July 20, 2012 at 6:34 PM |
It appears in the brief time the President of the BHTA has assumed office her statements have been only negative. -
@ Islandgal
What d shirt!! You got a husband!?!? …and he allows you to write so much junk on BU?
…does he know that you have been flirting with Bushie? 🙂@ miller
“…But despite your moral reservations fashioned by your idiosyncratic sexual hang ups you must admit that Mia does stand out from the rest where vision for a future Bim is concerned”
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….now miller, you are trying to put big words in the Bushman’s mouth… “idiosyncratic sexual hangups….”!!? Bushie has those…? 🙂….and Bushie could admit that Mia has a vision for a future Bim…. Is it a vision where one of her girls is in charge of every aspect of our society?… and where Peter can finally get married in a church….?
Look miller, Mia had 14 years to demonstrate leadership in multiple areas, at the highest levels of government, and at a time when money was no problem…
What should we be impressed by? – Edutech? Education? Glendairy and Dodds? Why will future leadership be different to past experience?Want to know who Bushie would want to see in leadership positions? Persons who SUCCESSFULLY led in the areas for which they held responsibility…. (He who have been faithful in small areas, look, Bushie would make them rulers over great things….)
….Like Mr Perkins the Principal of St Michael’s who has created a school which is in high demand by parents….
Like Bizzy who puts his money and hands where his mouth is…. etcThe main requirement for a good leader is that he knows where he himself is going in the first place….
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Check out this link, this mess has been piling up at Accra apparently:
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“What d shirt!! You got a husband!?!? …and he allows you to write so much junk on BU?
…does he know that you have been flirting with Bushie? :)”Bushie my husband doan lock up like yuh does keep Mrs Bushie. One day she gine brek way and may the Bush gods help yuh. I ent flirting wid yuh at all… yuh wud like tah tink soh!
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LOL @ Islandgal
You cannot tell Bushie how to interpret the cussing that you reserve for the Bushman…. that HAS to be love 🙂
…anyway, IslandGuy is a lucky fellow,…. As long as he keeps a tight rein on your blogging he should be OK. …and dont worry about Mrs Bushie…she remains well watered, pruned and blooming… -
@ David | July 20, 2012 at 10:36 PM |
“Check out this link, this mess has been piling up at Accra apparently:”Top notch investigative journalism on the people’s real Newspaper -aka BU!
It called “Naming and Shaming”. That’s the only way to get these public officials to do their work properly.
Similar photos of the run-down and garbage strewn places and properties ought to appear more often in the media to expose the way Bajans really treat to the environmentBut what is more shocking is the SUV’s parked nearby. It shows the total indifference and ‘don’t-care’ attitude of the owners of these vehicles living in two “Babadoses”. Seeing those two “big rides” is like see a Rolls Royce parked in front of a dilapidated rat infested termite ridden chattel house with the owner of the RR having a bath from a salt meat bucket of water next to the outhouse toilet with the flies buzzing around.
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@Miller
We have to thank BU family members who point us to these occurrences which speaks to our seriousness about being a service economy.
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“It appears in the brief time the President of the BHTA has assumed office her statements have been only negative.”
And her comments are all over the internet too. She is either an idiot or is single-handedly bent on killing what is left of the tourist industry.
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Does anyone know her background besides the fact she manages a couple of hotels in Barbados? She appears to have an accent?
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@ miller
When I read your last paragraph at 20.36 pm, I thought for a moment I was reading Bonnie Peppa. Very descriptive …..when the novel coming? You will most likely be on a par with Hemingway’s opening “For Whom The Bell Tolls”.
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@Clarke ” I’m tired of being approached by drug dealers in broad daylight.
I’ve lived in Barbados for nearly 60 years and I’ve NEVER been approached by a drug dealer, Not when I was a nubile teenager, not when I was a sexy 20 something, not when I was a smoking hot 30 something…NEVER.
Some people I grew up with got into the drug scene, but even those people have never offered me drugs
I wonder why?
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That said male prostitution has between a problem in the tourism sector for decades, certainly since the 1960’s when I was old enough to understand what was what.
Back then there was a notorious character nicknamed “Bucket” who ruled supreme on the west coast, and when the decent housekeeping ladies from the villages tried to chase him away he was encouraged by the tourist ladies who were only too happy to buy his wares, sorry, penis.
If ya sow the wind, ya will reap the whirlwind.
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Another fella, one of our brightest and our best, best sort school and everything boasted that in his “best” year of working on the west coast, he screwed 1,200 tourist ladies (and he was only doing the screwing the tourist ladies as an extra curricular activity, as he held down a regular respectable job in the tourist industry) But then the HIV/AIDS epidemic scared him straight, and he is now a respectable retired married husband and father, and you can’t keep him outta church when the Sundays come.
But there has been corruption in the tourist industry long time, long before the current spokesperson was born.
She got her job cut out for her, because many people like cheap or free sex and drugs, and how do you stop that?
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David rumour has it she’s Guyanese a national of a non tourist country.
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AND so what if she is a Guyanese? She is here legally doing a JOB like MANY Bajans doing jobs elsewhere. Yes start the anti foreigner snipes BUT that does not change what she has to say about how she sees Tourism Industry. The problem is that when criticism is given people get offended and take it personally. What has her country of origin has to do with this? That is why narrow mindedness can only see narrow mindedness.
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