Adrian Loveridge – Hotelier
If there was a single phrase to describe this winter tourism season, I think it may be great expectations. Despite all the wild speculation which included ‘this November has been one of the best Barbados had seen in a while’ being made by tourism officials, the month in fact ended by recording the lowest long stay visitors for any November during the last 11 years. It also heralded 20 consecutive months of stay over visitor decline.
As this is the latest in a long line of unfulfilled predictions this year, is it time for our policymakers to focus more attention on what can be achieved, rather than drift into the realms of prophecy and conjecture. I wonder just how much longer we can go on trying to justify rewarding failure. So much is riding on the performance of our tourism sector over the next 120 plus days leading up until next Easter Monday on 22 April, not only in terms of occupancy, but in the critical role of trying to claw back lost revenue from the last almost two lean years.
In our key market, the United Kingdom, traditionally there is a booking surge when tour operators step up their promotional activities on Boxing Day. But one of the largest travel companies, Thomas Cook, pre-empted its competitors by launching a massive sale, two weeks prior to Christmas to tempt the bargain hunters into commitment for summer 2014.
With the Brits still under economic pressure, those with stretched budgets will be tempted by the low holiday prices on offer. Inevitably this will help dilute demand for Barbados and other destinations, not perceived as providing the very best value-for-money. While, there is very little we can do at this late stage to influence winter performance, it is going to be even more critical to launch some sort of ‘national’ programme that will drive business post Easter.
And if the existing agencies like the Barbados Tourism Authority are unable or unwilling to fulfill their mandates due to budget restraints, then an alternative private sector marketing initiative has to be put in place. As we end yet another year still without a tourism master plan and the vast majority of other ‘initiatives’ unfulfilled, including the ten point plan, that same worn phrase, it cannot be business as usual simply cannot be regurgitated rhetoric for 2014.
‘The tourism plantocracy are at it again… when will we have one Barbados…we need a group of people who will create a new revolution that will move us as a nation forward, instead of looking for ways of bleeding us’.
After reading these verbatim comments, I was left with an overwhelming feeling that those of us actively involved in the sector, have done, over the years a pretty dismal job of explaining the industry and the challenges we face. Perhaps even more surprising the person who uttered this provocative statement recently, was no less than the former Deputy Chairman of the Barbados Tourism Authority and who personally had several years to put his ‘revolution’ in place. Could this be yet another example of not walking the walk, but just talking the talk?
Is there time to fix it? I hope there is Some of the concerned parties should recognize that cost is big consideration for todays tourist. We are competing against some very big issues including the migration of tourists to South America where currencies have tumbled against the US$ as well as the large increase in Cruise Vacations.
Why not put some packages together out of the USA utilizing Spirit Airlines .or Allegiant Airlines both of whom fly out of low landing fee cost airports close to major cities like Toronto. Some of our competitive destinations have already done this.
It todays market it is “make dust or eat dust” . .
is this annoying person a part of barbados tourism government officials?
or does he just have nothing better to do?
my god you would think he owned the island or something.why so intent on selling barbados?we all know what barbados is and after a few weeks so do the tourist.! are you blind ?highest prices, annoying ,loud people,reefs dieing off,garbage and pollution everywhere,overpopulated,not that great looking compared to other destinations,expensive as hell ,just dirty.
not all people want to be in Africa you know.some prefer Polynesian people ,
or a place where sex and filth, do not enter the scene.
any longer than a few weeks and tourist are very aware that they do not really fit in.constantly bothered,shouted at,can you not see with your own eyes man.
people are not as stupid about destinations as they used to be.people that return to barbados know what they come there for.some hate it.
it is that kind of place .are you following me?are you understanding what i am saying.
some love barbados and how it is ,
[total madness],kayos,noisy,dangerous,expensive,loud,lawless,dusty,dirty,
and some prefer let us just say not so corrupted and commercialized places.
what you dont follow this?is it like a daily.stock market thing with you,like some game.THE WORLD NOW KNOWS WHAT BARBADOS AND ITS PEOPLE ARE ABOUT.but you do not seem to.you not understanding?
go walk down nelson street at 3 am on some Friday night by yourself.then may be you will understand.dreamer you are.
good luck with changing that part Barbados .
Adria Loveridge wrote “an alternative private sector marketing initiative has to be put in place.”
What is stopping the Hotel owners from doing their own marketing?
Okay we accept that the BTA is NOTdoing a good job marketing Barbados.
The Hotel owners are responsible for their own Hotels. When they make after tax PROFITS they sing “all is mine”.
The picture being painted is that the Hotels are totally dependent on Government subsidies and MARKETING.
Well government is broke and can;t borrow any more money so Hotel owners will have to use their own money to Market their hotels.
Don’t waste any on Toronto right now cause we are covered in ice.
@Hants
The BHTA spends millions annually to market on behalf of members.
Sadly, we suffer from so many ill-informed comments on tourism.
‘The BHTA official (Sue Springer EVP) said that local hotels spend anout $40 million a year on marketing’.
25th November Barbados Advocate
Hants,
had you ever stopped to think that after all the staff salaries, admin, office (local and overseas) per diem expenses, travel and associated costs, staff loans, leased luxury SUV’s, depreciation etc., what percentage of the actual BTA budget is spent on MARKETING?
What is stopping Hotel owers from doing their own marketing? “MONEY”! To advertise in America during prime time can be very expensive. It cost money!
http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/fashion/nivea-drops-rihanna-raunchy-image-skin-care-company-axes-pop-star-party-girl-image-article-1.1136001
@ Mark Fenty
That’s Rihanna’s job marketing Barbados. Didn’t you know Rihanna signed a three year contract to market Barbados. Government should sue for Breach of Contract or just drop her as did the Nivea Company.
@By Look
I am quite sure Rihanna tried her best, but the place so damn expensive; who would really want to spend their hard earned money to visit it?
@ Mark Fenty
You live there, Barbados? Spending your hard earned money to live there? Place is so damn expensive. LOL
@Adrian Loveridge.
How long is long? How long does a person have to stay to be a long say visitor? Why is this your emphasis? Now that AA and American have merged, has the BTA (the association of Hotel owners Not a govenment entity,) sought to meet with officials to see how they can capture anything in the now expanded market? American airlines now has a larger market in the southern united states. Has the Hotel association looked at that? In todays markets 40 million dollars for marketing is nothing. What is the gross value of tourism to the island?
The hoteliers have to get off their asses and work now, the government can’t afford to work for them any longer. You still have not answered any of the questions I have been asking you. Is it lack of knowledge? How about targeting specific groups?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw9oX-kZ_9k&w=420&h=315]
What you talkin bout Alvin???
Government is responsible for sustaining the island financially likewise it’s poor credit rating now in junk bond status.
http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?more=business&NewsID=33591 Here is that link Adrian referred to earlier.
Alvin,
I must assume that you mean US Airways and American Airlines. The enhanced route network out of the single ONLY route served by the mergered airline to Barbados (Miami) from 15th January 2014 has not been announced yet. As you know we will lose the AA service from JFK next month and have already lost DFW and SJU with AA. We have already lost Atlanta, Newark and Philadelphia with other airlines.
A combined spend of around $140 million plus on marketing by the BTA and the private sector represents nearly 8 per cent of the annual revenue derived from tourism. A not insignificant sum when you compare with other industries.
Richard Sealy boy, what are you going to do now, Rhianna concert is officially cancelled? Boy , you are back at square one now, your only hope is for a very, very, very good tourism season to bring in some well needed foreign exchange.
Are cruise ship passengers not tourists? Looks like predictions overshot the mark judging from the numbers seen moving around in taxis on Christmas day. The taxi drivers and their families have big smiles on their faces. Why no mention of the cruise sector by the writer is it because the news there is brighter?
There is no mention of the cruise ship sector Ruffin aka waiting because it is a known pariah of land base tourism. land base is how we butter the bread.
Kidney Stones
@Adrian,
If there is atoatal spend of around 140 million dollars on marketing and the BHA contributes 40 million that means the governemnt contributes 100 million. Why should they contribute this amount to market a product that is the purvue of the hoteliers. There are many things the Hoteliers and the hotel association can do to market further. Stop the mendicancy and act on your own. Enter negotiations with carriers, understand that the days when someone would come and stay two or therr weeks at a hotel, sipping drinks and having dinner are gone. Younger people require other things to hold their interest. Find those things and target them.
David | 26/12/2013 at 11:11 am | Reply
There is no mention of the cruise ship sector Ruffin aka waiting because it is a known pariah of land base tourism. land base is how we butter the bread.
What rubbish you positing? Tell your utter crap to the thousands of taxi drivers, port people, attractions, cruise operators and duty free shops whose very lives depend on the cruisers. Better still have a chat with your friends at Goddards, the Boatyard, Foster and Ince or billionaire Bernie Weatherhead owner of the Copacabana off Nelson Street.
The DLP LIED TO THE PEOPLE, HAVE FAILED TO MANAGE THE ECONOMY AND JUST CANNOT MANAGE
THE DLP SHOULD RESIGN AND CALL FRESH ELECTIONS.
LET THE PEOPLE DETERMINE WHAT PROGRAMME THEY WILL SUPPORT.
ALL THE TALK ABOUT SENDING HOME PEOPLE AND CUTTING SALARIES SHOULD CEASE NOW. GET BACK TO THE POLLS.
THE REAL DISCUSSION SHOULD BE ABOUT SEEKING A FRESH MANDATE.
THERE MUST BE FRESH ELECTIONS
THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD RESIGN
THIS IS NOT JOKE WE JOKING
THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS