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Submitted by Due Diligence

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In his recent release, the Governor of the Central Bank has reiterated the claims of the Minister of Tourism and the Minister of Finance that airlift has increased for the current winter tourist season and the tourism outlook has improved. Presumably the increased airlift is largely represented by Air Canada’s replacing its daily flights from Toronto with an Airbus 321 (175 seats), to Boeing 777 (350 seats); an increase of 175 seats per day or 1,225 per week.  That is a good thing.

It is reported that Air Canada’s increasing its capacity is largely the result of pressure applied by Sandals to ensure it has the airlift to fill its 280 rooms (560 guests per week).  That should be a good thing for other tourism services, restaurants, night spots, historic sites and others. But will there be a spin-off from Sandals’ guests to other tourism business in Barbados?

Not according to this TV ad I saw on TV here in Toronto.

http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7NkD/sandals-resorts-no-wallet-necessary

The message is clear – when staying at Sandals you can leave your wallet at home, because at Sandals it’s All Inclusive, All Unlimited, All the Time.

See the two-page spread in Travel Section of the Toronto Star, same message -at Sandals it’s All Inclusive, All Unlimited, All the Time embedded and  see pictures of the Star Ad embedded.

So when a Sandals guest has 11 gourmet restaurants and 6 bars and lounges serving premium brand liquors (Mount Gay?) and wines, and unlimited everything, there is very little incentive to venture out into the mean streets of Barbados; unless of course a quick trip to The Gap to pick up a bit of weed.

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50 responses to “Sandals Barbados On Your Mark, Get Set, READY!”

  1. ac Avatar
    ac

    do you truly believe that tourist spends thousands of dollars and travel thousands of miles just to lounge around a hotel, well that theory is disputable especially having seen the thousands of tourist recently trekking in and around the barbados sites having fun and spending money amongst the locals maybe what you are experiencing is a vivid imagination corrupted by political delusion that set fantasy far apart from reality,

  2. glenroyvalantine Avatar
    glenroyvalantine

    Al I can say at this time is “WOW”. So far everything remains the same. There’s no movement in any direction here in Montreal that I am aware of. The phones are not ringing with request for Barbados. Clients are continually requesting the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico and Montego Bay, Jamaica

  3. ac Avatar
    ac

    well from my vantage point here at the Bridgetown port the number of cruise ships arrivals are staggering, but then again you are thousands of miles away where you are at a disadvantage to gazed upon.

  4. HAMILTON A HILL Avatar
    HAMILTON A HILL

    @ ac….From your vantage point can you see the piles of garbage? Then again the question should be is it still garbage season? After all that phrase was coined by your garbage minister, mum’s favorite child.

  5. lawson Avatar
    lawson

    Having gone on many cruises …AC you are full of crap if you are saying those people are dropping thousands in Barbados. The reason for a cruise in the first place it is economical. Those seniors are like Barbados seniors penny wise. From someone who is not in the fishbowl …each time I come down to the island I wonder where the people at. My wife and kids were at the crane in dec and they said it was only 50 percent full.

  6. ac Avatar
    ac

    Lawson if that is the case Barbados should relinquish all ongoing efforts necessary to grow the tourism industry as in reference to your comment you have made a comment which is atypical of one who has no knoweldge of the business and the many decisions made .you have also made a gross error of underestimating the purchasing power of the tourist spend

  7. David Avatar
    David

    Yesterday the MoT made the comment that he is comfortable with where tourism is at the moment, BU’s issue with the MoT’s comfort position is that the environmental and product related issues that impact the tourist experience seem to be ignored by him. The garbage, the length of time it takes to crawl through Customs and Immigration when 2 or 3 planes are on the ground.

  8. Tudor Avatar
    Tudor

    One has to carefully when speaking of the impact that the Cruise Industry makes to Barbados- in a normal year we can expect to welcome 900,000 cruise ship passengers here, of these over 50% chose to stay on board when the ship docks and enjoy what they have paid for up front.
    About half of those who disembark go up to Bridgetown and return to the ship for lunch the other half take sight seeing trips etc and spend money on trinkets lunches etc. So while it sounds wonderful to speak of 900,000 visitors a significant % of them don’t really make a meaningful contribution to the Island.

  9. David Avatar
    David

    Good observation Tudor. What has been the impact of the change to allow cruise ships to gamble in our waters?

  10. Due Diligence Avatar
    Due Diligence

    @ Tudor January 13, 2015 at 11:29 AM #

    One has to carefully when speaking of the impact that the Cruise Industry makes to Barbados- in a normal year we can expect to welcome 900,000 cruise ship passengers here, of these over 50% chose to stay on board when the ship docks and enjoy what they have paid for up front.

    About half of those who disembark go up to Bridgetown and return to the ship for lunch the other half take sight seeing trips etc and spend money on trinkets lunches etc. So while it sounds wonderful to speak of 900,000 visitors a significant % of them don’t really make a meaningful contribution to the Island.

    I echo David’s “good observation” comment; BUT

    I have no stats to back this up, just a recent personal observation.

    When recently in Barbados, I took the East Coast drive from North Point to Ragged Point twice; taking with me some Canadian friends ,who were first timers to Barbados, to see the awesome unspoiled scenery which is the East Coast.

    What surprised and shocked me was the almost complete absence of other visitors sight-seeing, with the exception of maybe 100 people at the surfing competition at the Soup Bowl. The car parks at St. Nicholas Abbey, Farely Hill and Coddrington College were almost empty. I saw very few taxis and one (yes one) tour bus in 2 days (9.00 am to 5:00 pm) on my East Coast travels.

    Based on my observation, I have to conclude that the number of cruise ship visitors who take sight seeing trips etc and spend money on trinkets lunches etc, is far less than the % of the 900,000 cruise ship visitors than you suggest who make a meaningful contribution to the Island.

    If more cruise ship visitors got to see more of the Island, they may return as long stay visitors,

    Surely BTMI should be able to devise a plan to get more cruise ship visitors to venture out further than the duty-free stores on Broad Street and the trinket shops on Swan Street and Pelican Village.

  11. ac Avatar
    ac

    As they say the proof of the cake is in the eating and the global economic down turn and its impact on the tourist industry exposed the importance of the tourist dollarwhich left a huge hole in revenue and coming close to economic disaster

  12. Due Diligence Avatar
    Due Diligence

    And, ac, your point is?

    In case you missed it -this is copied from The Power of TripAdvisor blog

    “David January 12, 2015 at 8:16 PM #
    Submitted on 2015/01/09 at 5:20 PM by Adrian Loveridge

    I have just heard on the 100.FM 5pm news that US arrivals for the period Jan-Oct 2014 were UP 8.3 per cent.

    Now the TRUTH.

    January down .06 per cent

    February down 2.1 per cent

    March down 19.0 per cent

    April down 9.6 per cent

    May down 5. per cent

    June down 3.9 per cent

    July UP 6.0 per cent

    August UP 1.8 per cent

    September down 10.1 per cent

    October down 1.9 per cent

    These are figures reported on the Barbados Statistical Service website (anyone can check) with the single exception of October which is reported by Bloomberg.

    Reality has to kick in – the public can only be lied to for so long.”

    What say you about this lie – 8.3% up when in fact US arrivals are down. in 8 of 10 months

  13. lawson Avatar
    lawson

    AC ..I have great knowledge of the tourism business because I am their target audience. But you are like one of those people who cant say the king has no clothes.I have been coming to Barbados for years and it is very noticeable the decline in visitors, the upkeep of the island and the we don’t have a problem attitude.

  14. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Trouble in Canada eh!

    http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/oil-price-plunge-could-put-alberta-into-recession-conference-board-says-1.2899167

  15. Colonel Buggy Avatar
    Colonel Buggy

    Due Diligence January 13, 2015 at 12:22 PM #

    And you haven’t even touch on the Heritage Sites, both National and the UNESCO’s Bridgetown and the Garrison. I have visited the various Heritage on those days when the regular cruise ship come a calling. At the times of my visits , The Garrison, even with the “Changing of the Guard” only attracted a hand full of tourists, and just about the same locals. I was there on other days , when tour buses stopped by the Main Guard and only a few visitors decided to dismount,and even fewer of them took pictures. Gun Hill Signal Station,at the time of my visit,a Wednesday, I saw just about two visitors . The same goes for Grenade Hall and the Wild Life Reserve.
    I ‘ve taken the Caribbean cruise a few times, and ironically the emphasis, on ” Shore Excursions”, are snorkeling,diving, catamaran cruises, Atlantis submarine , all connected to the same ocean that the visitors have their floating hotel located on. Many of the younger visitors, stay in the Port area, getting pissed on Banks Beer.
    We appear not to be doing enough to attract the bulk of the cruise passengers on real shore excursions.
    The last time I traveled ,on leaving Barbados we met a group of Jamaicans, who took an island tour, and were thoroughly pleased with the tour,except for one thing ,they could not find any roast breadfruit along the way.

  16. ac Avatar
    ac

    lawson do you understand the many differing factors that contribute to spend in the tourist industry .

  17. lawson Avatar
    lawson

    Probably not but I know a little about making a profit, you and I know people rent out houses and apts in Barbados and money never enters the island.
    Locals come home even well off ones and stay with family
    When a cruise ship has already paid for meals on board who needs to pay in town
    Cruisers do not need hotel rooms
    All inclusives don’t care if you eat off the resort its better for them, few people do
    So all these people you are seeing are maybe just tire kickers, and I am starting to think you are a big drinker because you are seeing double the people that everyone else sees
    Cruise ships have bought their own islands so they don’t have to share the money
    You can paint the rosiest picture you want, spout figures and claims of good things to come belittle anyone who has a different point of view, but the fact remains I see less people when I go and the island looks tired

  18. ac Avatar
    ac

    lawson ac not going to argue politics with you, but the facts are the facts, tourism has been the backbone of barbados economy for the simple reason it is multifaceted and multipurpose and can drive many economic variables at the same time .u seem to only focus on the the entertainment value but it is also important to bear in mind that outside of entertainment there are other areas of purpose that tourist might be actively pursuing that might be of benefit to them as well as the country,

  19. Tudor Avatar
    Tudor

    I walked thru St. Lawrence Gap this afternoon and was pleasantly surprised to see that the overflowing garbage skip was gone & that the site looked clean – guess we have to thank sandals for that.

    I can only hope that the vendors & others who create the garbage will be more responsible in future. I was very impressed when i passed sandals site the area has been transformed – still think that an opening by Jan 28 is pushing it.

  20. Togetherness Avatar
    Togetherness

    Co-sign your comment Tudor in fact driving through Baxters Road and downtown it kooks as if Lowe and SSA are making headway against the garbage pile up. That 10 feet of litter in the Palmetto market is an abomination. There are a lot of unhygienic people who could help the situation by not going out of their way to litter. One still sees plastic bottles and garbage being thrown out of ZR vans and minibuses. Given the rough callous way the ZR culture operates its no surprise. These people would throw litter in their beds and still sleep soundly with spliffs in their mouths.

    Somebody threw a bag full of garbage on the ABC not far from Warrens Roundabout. Its there all now. If that person is found they should be placed in solitary confinement in Dodds for a year without toilet facilities. That would be a stark and smelly lesson. Now that the SSA appears to be getting the garbage under control they must sustain their efforts and dont allow the pile up to return.

  21. Prodigal Son Avatar
    Prodigal Son

    @ Togetherness

    This might be the only time I would agree with you!

    Careless dumping really gets to me! We never had such an out of control garbage problem like now. It believe this uncaring attitude is reflective of the hopelessness the people feel.

  22. Colonel Buggy Avatar
    Colonel Buggy

    Togetherness January 13, 2015 at 8:40 PM #

    Co-sign your comment Tudor in fact driving through Baxters Road and downtown it kooks as if Lowe and SSA are making headway against the garbage pile up.
    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
    I walked through Baxters Road today. Yes much of the garbage piles seem to be on the decline, but what I saw and smelt ,only inches from the side walk, tells me that we have a long way before we can called ourselves a clean and tidy nation.
    Although I had my camera , I did not have the stomach to take a second look,further more a photo.

  23. ac Avatar
    ac

    With the economy steadily on the upward trend it seems the only last piece of hope for the Blp yardfowls is shifting and sorting out garbage Lol.

  24. Grace Fuller Avatar
    Grace Fuller

    ac
    despite your wishes, you nor the Gov of Central Bank can talk up the economy when the facts say otherwise. The GOB already knows that Moody’s is about to give Barbados another downgrade.
    You see, until the nincompoops deal with the debt financing cost, there is simply no way out for Barbados, the downgrades will continue to come, one after the other further compounding the problems. While they bring down the deficit (without restructuring/profiling the debt) the interest cost will continue to rise as a percentage which only triggers further downgrades. A case of the snake eating its own tail.

  25. lawson Avatar
    lawson

    When I see all the stuff that AC spouts I always ask myself the question….when did the black rock psychiatric hospital get wi-fi

  26. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    I am impressed by this man’s work.

    Seven years ago, the St Thomas businessman turned his idea of mixing different types of wood to create unique pieces of art into Wood Artz Products. – See more at: http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/61953/mario-carves-niche#sthash.6hc7UIEn.dpuf

  27. ac Avatar
    ac

    lawson also free food and no bills to worry about.a great place for relaxation .all taxpayer sponsored.sounds like a great place to be if u ask me

  28. ac Avatar
    ac

    Grace Fuller January 14, 2015 at 10:57 AM #

    ac

    despite your wishes, you nor the Gov of Central Bank can talk up the economy when the facts say otherwise. The GOB already knows that Moody’s is about to give Barbados another downgrade.
    You see, until the nincompoops deal with the debt financing cost, there is simply no way out for Barbados, the downgrades will continue to come, one after the other further compounding the problems. While they bring down the deficit (without restructuring/profiling the debt) the interest cost will continue to rise as a percentage which only triggers further downgrades. A case of the snake eating its own tail.

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
    hi grace we (DLP) already knows all of the above

    But what are your SOLUTIONS!

  29. David Avatar
    David

    Good to hear the industry is upbeat about the season ahead.

  30. ac Avatar
    ac

    That ,s called optimistically confident.deal wid it.unlike what the blp brigade of doom and gloom have attached themselves digging themselves into a ditch of hoplesness latched on to a diction of falsehood and grandiloquence

  31. David Avatar
    David

    Unfortunately until we see confirm stats for November, December we will have to continue to speculate.

  32. lawson Avatar
    lawson

    AC is right we should be making lemonade from the lemons that are dealt We should be building up the constuction sector instead of tourism The way the island is going there will be a need for more gated communities Dodds is not enough

  33. ac Avatar
    ac

    Game on.Butch has moved the goal post a little further to the winners circle.neigh possible for the stragglers in the hotel industry to grab hold. schucks what a pity after all them years of the “goodies basket”

  34. ac Avatar
    ac

    hope Loveridge hear Sue springer speech on people who give nothing but negativity about this tiny island

  35. David Avatar
    David

    Guardian sues Harlequin investors over SIPP fees

    Professional Adviser | 15 Jan 2015 | 13:06

    empty-pockets

    Guardian SIPP is suing investors with pension money tied up in troubled property investment Harlequin for non-payment of the fees related to their self-invested personal pension (SIPP).

    SIPP providers holding Harlequin investments are set to earn £17m from investors in fees over the next ten years, according to a law firm, while the underlying investment could be virtually worthless.

    Harlequin investors – who put £400m of their pension money into the unregulated overseas property scheme expecting a monthly income from rents on tourist villas – have been left without the promised income or even access to their capital, after work stopped on the Harlequin resorts and its sales arm entered liquidation.

    Harlequin investors don’t really need this on their plates as well

    As a result, they lack the funds in their SIPP cash accounts to pay the fees Guardian is demanding, solicitors for the investors said.

    http://www.professionaladviser.com/professional-adviser/news/2390444/guardian-sues-harlequin-investors-over-sipp-fees

  36. John Hanson 1781-1782- I SERVE 1788- 1792 BARBADOES. Avatar
    John Hanson 1781-1782- I SERVE 1788- 1792 BARBADOES.

    CLICO DEAD NO MORE LAND TO LAUNDER , ELECTIONS NEEDED NOW, VOTE CUP THE NEXT PARTY

  37. David Avatar
    David

    @Deeds

    CLICO Judicial Managers advised today there is no money to pay pension/annuity payments and they are left with no choice but to liquidate. We wait on the MOF to advise on the matter, again!

  38. ac Avatar
    ac

    wait we have a country to manage let the policy holders all of them take clico to the carribbean court of justice,,

  39. David Avatar
    David

    We predicted Obama will phase this in.

    US-Cuba travel and trade: New rules start on Friday

    Woman smokes Cuban cigar at cigar festival in Havana on 27 February 2014Americans will be able to bring home small numbers of Cuban cigars after a ban of more than 50 years

    Continue reading the main story

    Related Stories

    New travel and trade rules between the US and Cuba are to take effect on Friday, US officials say.

    Measures include allowing US citizens to use credit cards in Cuba and for US businesses to export some technologies.

    Americans will be able to take home up to $100 (£66) in alcohol and tobacco from Cuba. Correspondents say it means the US ban on Cuban cigars is over.

    The move implements last month’s agreement to re-establish ties severed since 1961.

    Although the latest moves put a large dent in the US trade embargo against Cuba, only Congress can lift it completely.

    Earlier this week, US officials said Cuba had completed the release of 53 political prisoners agreed as part of the historic deal.

    Policies ‘out of date’

    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-30836679

  40. ac Avatar
    ac

    Sandals catering to a pack house! what say ye Loveridge.remember the heydays of kicking the tourism can down the street.wuh happen bro did you break boths legs on arrival..anyhow ac noticed that the BU brigade is leaving no stone unturned (in your absence) cleaning up the garbage
    For good measure the cheque is on me

  41. lawson Avatar
    lawson

    AC are you really that dense, just like a new cruise ship everyone wants to be on the maiden voyage especially at 60% off, that said I hope they do well I am staying on the gap this summer and would love to see it pick its game up again and be garbage and idiot free. In Canada Target opened with a big bang …..yesterday 17000 people were told their jobs are going as target Canada is no more. Lets wait a while before you try lashing anybody.

  42. Colonel Buggy Avatar
    Colonel Buggy

    Tudor January 13, 2015 at 8:05 PM #

    I walked thru St. Lawrence Gap this afternoon and was pleasantly surprised to see that the overflowing garbage skip was gone & that the site looked clean – guess we have to thank sandals for that.

    I can only hope that the vendors & others who create the garbage will be more responsible in future. I was very impressed when i passed sandals site the area has been transformed – still think that an opening by Jan 28 is pushing it.
    ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
    And by now you have realised, that like me, you were focussed on the side where the bin used to be, and did not notice it was relocated, with all of its stinking and unsightly glory, on the other side. As seen in todays Nation.
    But isn’t that our mode of operation these days in Barbados? either Sweep it under the carpet, or Shift it from one side to another, like we do in politics..

  43. David Avatar
    David

    Why can’t we get a simple problem of garbage disposal / collection solved in one of our most popular tourist districts.

  44. Colonel Buggy Avatar
    Colonel Buggy

    David January 16, 2015 at 4:15 PM #

    Why can’t we get a simple problem of garbage disposal / collection solved in one of our most popular tourist districts
    ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
    Designate the area a plantation yard, a Sunset Crest or a Sugar Hill (not the one in St Joseph)

  45. ac Avatar
    ac

    lawson. did u get my memo from jenkins,. no purchase prices,, free meals free room and board oh,no don’t have to worry about discount rates indoor and outdoor recreation activity and garbage collected on a daily basis, can.t beat that for the price of a donut, wuh yuh think, looking much better in here than out there. every thing free ,,lawd hav merci. uh think loverridge would be interested free is his middle name,

  46. lawson Avatar
    lawson

    sounds good the only downside is I hear the police are treating the death of three people falling off the roof there as suspicious, they are sure they pushed four

  47. ac Avatar
    ac

    wuh lawson up dey in kunadah they more people flying through the air than at jenkins, yuh only talkng bout three here but kuna dah is a storage house for the abnormal ,jenkins still a better bet ,

  48. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    ALL INCLUDED….ALL UNLIMITED….ALL THE TIME.

  49. Adam Ray Avatar
    Adam Ray

    From Canada I watch this site with interest , The obvious seems to be missed by many for the reason in a downturn in tourism . It’s CRIME. Tourists no longer feel safe in Barbados . My Bajan friends were robbed outside of Blakeys yesterday , and robbed in in the St Lawrence gap two days before. Gone are the days when the police report in the Nation would read ” Woman caught steeling peppers ” I worked in Barbados for seven years , have been traveling there nearly twenty , it’s not the country it was . Sad time ahead for Barbados .

  50. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Casuarina Beach shoreline stabilisation project…….

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