We are already half way through what will result in many cases, both locally and around the world as one, if not the most difficult years in living memory.
Frankly I have been disappointed that we have not witnessed more creative thinking and action among the wealth of tourism professionals, who reside and derive their main income from the sector in our country. While it’s almost impossible to compare our position with that of larger neighbours, sparks of ingenuity emerge from abroad.
Take the US state of Arizona as an example. Republican Senator Martha McSally introduced legislation that would enable Americans to deduct domestic travel expenses, which include lodging on their tax returns for the next three years. The American TRIP act would provide a US$4,000 travel credit for individuals and US$8,000 for joint filers, plus an additional US$500 credit for dependent children.
Justifying the concept, Senator McSally, (a former United States Air Force Colonel, the first US women to fly in combat and command a fighter squadron) pointed out that travel and hospitality has one of the nation’s highest unemployment rates because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Adding ‘Arizona has lost billions in revenue this year alone due to the pandemic’ and ‘my legislation will help boost domestic travel and jump-start the comeback of our hotels, entertainment sectors and local tourism agencies’.
I am not, for one second, suggesting that we attempt to adopt identical legislation, but it should open up our minds, that there are alternative ways of re-opening our tourism economy, rather than totally depending on overseas visitors, with all the challenges that entails. This form of tax credit could appeal to those who are still in meaningful employment and who have disposable income.
Another way may be to lift the recently imposed room levy and temporarily remove the VAT (value added tax) that is applied to accommodation and the latter on dining, at least until some sort of measured recovery takes place.
While Government will be clearly focused on tax collection to reduce the burden of further debt which has been compounded by Covid-19, it’s long term objective may be to ensure as many businesses as possible avoid bankruptcy and return to profitability in the middle to long term, ultimately making them subject to corporation and all the additional taxes that viability and full employment brings.
Some may reasonably argue that the current timing is not right, but when will it ever more likely to be?
Are ‘we’ going to wait until more businesses are shuttered and beyond realistic recovery?
Surely now, while ‘we’ still have the time, to finally implement the long promised duty-free concessions right across the tourism sector.
It cannot be right or proper that a single entity still extracts unique trading advantages, especially when we consider the fact that most of its derived income stays offshore.
If levelling the playing-field has any real meaning to those who have taken the greatest risk and ploughed almost, if not everything, into their country, let it be clearly demonstrated and raised as a beacon to encourage further local investment.
Same old thinking. Admitting a lack of creativity by those responsible for tourism and then calling for all kinds of tax relief. Repetitive begging nothing really creative here. Still complaining about concessions given to Sandals. No wonder we are back to square one.
On the other hand the Minister of Tourism, who inherited, the most and only , successful ministry of the last administration, comes up with a” new” vision for St Lawrence Gap. It goes like this: remove the dug peddlers and those who harass tourists. Very new indeed, I remember Aron Truss from nearly forty years ago saying the same
thing.
And then on the same gap everybody up in Mark Maloney face drinking free booze. All them up in one another. A $100,000 USD investment and Maloney got them all eating from the palm of his hand; the same Maloney was supposed to be corporate public enemy number 1 . But that was just up to the elections of 2018.
And this morning bright and early all we reading about creativity is to remove taxes and give more concessions.
Sounds familiar ? It is. Same old same old.
@ William
If Barbados wants to encourage young British tourists, then there are three essentials: booze (young Brits are the drunkest in Europe), sex (ditto) and drugs( ditto).
The drug dealers on St Lawrence Gap do more for tourism from the UK than the fantasists in pin-stripe suits. I once worked with a young woman, an ‘English rose’, who came down to Barbados on holidays and returned telling me about her time in St Lawrence Gap. I smiled. Quite clearly she had forgotten I was from Barbados.
By the way, I still get people accusing me of being a millionaire who planned to spend money improving the Gap, on the basis of the Nation publishing my picture next to the development story. Even to this day, years later, they have not apologised or published a correction. I cannot even afford to pay for petrol in my car.
“Frankly I have been disappointed that we have not witnessed more creative thinking and action” from you, Adrian. After all, you are a multi-millionaire with decades of industry experience… why are you not investing in the next generation of tourism innovation?
@ Hal
The tourist industry needs at least four or so years to fully recover. Unfortunately we simply don’t have the product to really compete in the post COVID era. The simple truth is that unless health protocols are AA+, people will not take chances. There are people who live in USA , Canada etc, who have in many cases never traveled outside of their county. Millions don’t even have passports. With COVID as a backdrop, they will scarcely want to travel.
If you or anybody else want to truly understand how the industry has been mismanaged just read what the players write and you would see how basically visionless they really are. This current column under discussion bears out my point. The writer never speaks of any innovation just run of the mill stuff. People don’t understand that we compete for airline seats and after two or three days on the beach , visitors yearn for more and we just don’t have it .
We sell sea sand and barely anything else. And they know it because they have treated our cultural workers like dirt. The days of the Island Inn, Pepper Pot, Harry’s Nitery, Lord Radio and the Bimshire Boys, Guy and Bertie, the belly and limbo dancers are all behind us. The industry has been ruined by over charging guests and blatant racism. There is a reason why black Americans tourists prefer Jamaica. You can’t market a destination as high end if you are still putting garbage at the front of your property. Simple as that.
Your major product fails when you spend your time , as this columnist knows, chasing black people off your property and trying your best to secretly create private beaches; treating your employees like dirt. Years ago tourists all over Baxters Road ; taxi drivers were our main sales persons. We had a cultural product but we turned Crop Over into nudity with big women willing up on ten years old boy children.
The hoteliers never bought into the culture because they were racists . They are masters at tokenism but I was there and I speak the truth. They and they alone killed the goose that lays the golden egg. And the black political class by placing jokers who can’t sell a golden Apple in high positions in the industry is complicit.
And that’s the truth and who don’t like it can lump it. I was there.
@Adrian
you complementing same US State governor whose one of the leading COVID AREAS in the world, not exactly an appropriate example.
@PLT , Adrian ideas my lack imagination, however he has is HEART ON THE LEFT AND HIS WALLET ON THE RIGHT, if you Don’t know what this means just ask any French man.
In this developing COVID 19 situation it’s extremely difficult to come with new ideas for future development/sustainability as the situation is continually evolving and funds must be delegated where they are proven to be MOST EFFECTIVE. The present internation PHYLISOPHY is to throw money at the situation which may prove in the future to be more of a problem than solution. As BARBADOS knows its extremely difficult or impossible did dig ones self out of extreme DEBT.
@ William Skinner July 6, 2020 5:32 AM
“And then on the same gap everybody up in Mark Maloney face drinking free booze. All them up in one another. A $100,000 USD investment and Maloney got them all eating from the palm of his hand; the same Maloney was supposed to be corporate public enemy number 1 . But that was just up to the elections of 2018.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What an opening salvo!
Right on target. The Duopoly at its best!
@Wily
Agree with some of your comment. SIDs including Barbados have to pool resources both financial and intellectual to navigate this new world. In the past developed countries embraced a moral responsibility to shelter small developing states, no longer.
@ William Skinner July 6, 2020 6:58 AM
You are really batting like Sir Garry or even the late Sir Everton on this badly-maintained tourism pitch.
How can anyone claim tourism was “killed” before covid19 when year after year for about the last decade tourist was arriving at record numbers and was the only industry doing so?
@ William
You are absolutely right. Our deep problem is a a poverty of ideas. What is really sad is that after ten years in opposition and two years in government this Junta is still at sea; it is lost.
@john2 July 6, 2020 9:10 AM
“How can anyone claim tourism was “killed” before covid19 when year after year for about the last decade tourist was arriving at record numbers…”
++++++++++++++
Because tourist numbers are obviously the wrong measure of success… because we failed to increase the visitor spend per tourist… because we allowed our tourism product to be degraded by all inclusives that provide a homogenized, generic, low class experience… because we failed to innovate meaningful new experiences for tourists… because we failed to staunch the effective forex outflow of tourist expenditures being booked overseas and never reaching or benefitting Barbados…
William Skinner is correct on all points… the Barbados tourism industry has been seriously injured, perhaps fatally; the assailant that attacked and wounded our tourism industry is none other than our own tourism industry. It is a clear case of greed induced hara-kiri.
I have been asking for a long time why tourists come here at all. There doesn’t seem like there is much to do.
What is the average “visitor spend” for Barbados compared to Jamaica?
Wasnt visitor spent for Barbados on the increase recently?
If tourism was so dead then they is no need to revive it. 40+% unemployment and about -15% economic growth socially can picked up by the other industries that had be carrying us for all these years.
@ Donna
Agree with you. and espacially when compared to a big island like jamacia.
But i had a BLACK friend who was there in Feb and came back a changed person(according to her workmates) telling what a wonder time she had and how good the bajans were to her. She did a 10 day AB&B.
@ Donna who wrote ” There doesn’t seem like there is much to do.”
A lot of ” tourists ” go on vacation to relax especially those from the USA and Canada.
However there are the ” hyperactive ” tourists who want to do something different every day.
Barbados has a lot of great watersports including windsurfing and water skiing.
Some want to enjoy ” fine dining ” at the most expensive restaurants and some want to party in Oistins and the Gap.
Lots to do in Barbados but it would be great if wunna sanitize more. Clean and safe.
In 2018 the visitor spend for Barbados was at least $33US more that jamaica according to my quick internet search
So what the reason Jamaica doing right that Barbados isnt doing that attracting the black visitors?
it is closer to the USA, it has more/similar attractions and it is cheaper
Is Jamaica high end? do they put they garbage out front?
Jamaica got a FEW millions of tourists compared to Barbados not in the million club yet.
2018 Tourist spend for Barbados was just under $1.50US when compared to St Lucia
PTL
all those problem thaat you mentioned are not unique to Barbados so should i come to the conclusion that tourism in the islands is/dead….etc before covid?
At this point in time i wont even touch on crop over, one of out best economic time of the year being reduced to “big fat women wuking up on 10yrs old boys. Just to mentioned that one can also reduce it to gun play on the highway.
Its just a matter of of selecting which ever negative event you want to if one want to remain blinded in negativity
@ Donna July 6, 2020 11:16 AM
Barbados is paradise.
The tourists come to us because the locals are helpful and peaceful, the crime rate against tourists is low and the rich can stay among themselves. Not to forget that we have an international airport, a big hospital and a large range of services and goods.
On many other islands, on the other hand, the tourists turn their backs once and they already have a knife in it. That is the difference.
Who is responsible for tourism promotion in NA specifically USA? If the Gov’t is serious about getting the tourism golden goose back on the nest it can’t have the NYT headlining an article “5 Caribbean Destinations Reopening this Summer” with nary a mention of Barbados. Jamaica is mentioned so is St. Lucia but Bim is nowhere to be found.
Someone should be replaced (its time we get serious if the President of the BCA can call for the firing of the Manager of the WI team for attending the funeral of a close relative……….)
https://www.nytimes.com/article/caribbean-reopening-coronavirus.html?searchResultPosition=1
Extracted from the article:
LIAT news:
https://268today.com/local-news/breaking-liat-workers-agree-to-30-cut-in-severance-payments/
So you invite people instead of as tourists but as immigrants (even with skills and ideas) who will need jobs unless they bring one off shore with them, doesn’t that just increase the people looking for work . Whether they shop eat etc all at the same spots the money has got to come from somewhere. So if you are suggesting that you want to attract overseas pensioners with loads of cash that makes sense but things have to be done that will attract them good health care, other things as well, policing, low crime, top notch services , sanitation life span , water issues etc
just remember Barbados isnt suffering alone almost every country is in the same boat so dont panic
@Lawson
We compete as individuals, we have always competed as countries. Nothing new here.
David you have nothing to sell you are not resource based, your best meal is what other countries use for bait for gods sake, forget the immigration go for long stay medical holidays ,teeth implants etc and get that casino going.
liat. changed my mind the island has got to go into full on barbering….everybody is getting a haircut
Don’t forget that the world’s riches, mega-philanthropist and overall just plain lover of humanity, Bill Gates, has not abandoned his dream of opening up global travel by making sure we all get certificates to show we have been vaccinated with an experimental, possibly entirely new technology, rushed into production Covid-19 vaccine – i.e. a vaccine which will be allowed to bypass the already inadequate, lackadaisical testing procedures (e.g. no true placebo testing demanded) that have heretofore been required of all previous vaccines (unlike the much stricter regimes for pharmaceutical drug testing) before public release.
One small wrinkle for Bill and his friends (co-conspirators?) in the vaccine industry, they have said that they will hold off releasing any new Covid-19 vaccines to the clamoring masses anxious to take the shot and get their “free to travel” certificates unless governments agree in advance to indemnify them against charges for any damages or harm caused by their vaccines’ undesirable side effects. But Bill apparently has lots of friends in very high places, so its hard to see this as a major difficulty. And this is especially so, since the US government in 1988 agreed to grant immunity from lawsuits for damages caused by any vaccines listed on the USA’s childhood vaccine schedule. This happened after the vaccine manufacturers threatened to shut down vaccine production, as they said they they could no longer make any profit on US vaccine sales due to the lawsuits by vaccine injury victims and the resulting compensation awards for damages by the law courts.
https://www.collective-evolution.com/2020/07/07/bill-gates-certificates-for-the-vaccinated-will-be-created-to-help-facilitate-global-travel/
Re LIAT: interesting when a solitary shareholder is negotiating payments which will be zero under bankruptcy. Hope Billy Preston’s anthem was played in the Zoom conference.
SN concept seems very similar to PLT, albeit his analysis is different.
@ Adrian
” More Creative Thinking People Required”
If you are looking for ideas to develop and promote Tourism , I respectfully refer you to the Apr 27/20 posting titled ” A recover project to support Tourism Industry.
@ Adrian- Correction
“More Creative Thinking Required People ! ”
If you are looking for ideas to develop and promote Tourism, I respectfully refer you to the Apr 27/20 posting titled” A recovery project to support Tourism industry.
KUALA LUMPUR — AirAsia Group shares were temporarily suspended on Wednesday after the company’s external auditor told the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange that it had “significant doubt” over the budget airline’s ability to operate amid the lingering pandemic.
@NorthernObserver July 8, 2020 10:20 AM
“SN concept seems very similar to PLT, albeit his analysis is different.”
+++++++++++++++++++
Dr. Naitram is a very smart dude.
Touché Peter.
Risky business?
https://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/246570/-low-risk-passengers-exempt-pcr-test
@Tides lovers
So if thousands of people from poorer countries want the barbados stamp, there is not going to be some sort of means test .LOL
In their desperation to resurrect the economy the Government of Barbados has decided to introduce a scheme which will open up the floodgates to mass immigration.
The health implications are disturbing. Foreign nationals will be permitted to work “remotely” for one year in Barbados and will have the right to come and go as they please. For this scheme to work, on health grounds alone, it should require the visitor to be quarantined for a period of one month. Should they need to leave the island and to return at a later date then the same rules should be applied.
We also need to be clear that these “remote workers” should be viewed as “immigrants”. A stringent vetting procedure should be introduced as is used by developed countries; prior to an individual being given the right to stay.
In our quest to bolster our economy in order to satisfy the demands from our minority community business class we are playing a dangerous game. We are putting the majority population’s health at risk, We are also opening up ourselves to those from criminal backgrounds and or criminal intentions.
Mia is a reckless gambler. She asked for a national discussion surrounding the removal of Nelson’s statue. Yet on this matter which is far more significant to the future of Barbados and her majority African population no discussion has taken place. This is a potential national crisis.
Happening Now.
City TV Toronto discussing the 12 month work in Barbados proposal.
https://twitter.com/BTtoronto/status/1281548221999874048?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
Thanks Hants, good to see Barbados creating noise in source markets to separate itself from the pack.
So what’s the deal ya come to a pretty much white market to entice people to come and work in Barbados and I expect hope they will put down roots and maybe open island satellites of their own companies or work places , then threaten a black out on Tuesday to only do business with black business. Somebody has got to get this mixed messaging stopped. When I said open a casino I didn’t mean in the business sector, who is gonna gamble on a volatile market.
@ Lawson July 10, 2020 7:48 AM
You should be querying whether those ‘open-minded’ white people from the North would be allowed to bring along their same-sex partners and their status legally recognized as such.
As far as the ‘next-of-kin’ arrangements are concerned what will happen in times of accidents, illness, or other incidents involving contact with the local justice system?
Would these ‘immigrant’ business people be allowed to visit the Government’s service providers without expecting them to dress in their ‘Sunday-go-to-meeting’ mode of attire instead of living on a tropical island?
Would the white Canadians be allowed to buy (or grow) and use (under licensed conditions) their own mary jane as they can in Canada?
The Bajan government is grasping at economic straws without understanding the social and legal implications of their ‘invitations to treat’ in order to entice modern and enlightened people from the North to come to live in Barbados to feel safe not only from Covi-19 but also from discriminatory laws on morality determined by an uninformed and crass sect of hypocrites.
If Barbados wants to become the Amsterdam of the Caribbean (as has been recommended on previous occasions) the government must, first, get rid of those stupid and backward discriminatory ‘legally-entrenched’ rules and regulations on so-called correct moral behaviours and then seek to advertise to the world that Barbados is open for ‘Rainbow Business’.
Barbados must stop ‘with’ the practice of economic prostitution within the confines of the ‘dark’ social alleys and bring it into the Light of realities and commonsense along with a change in the current administration’s continuing attempts to pull wool over the eyes of the naïve people.
Mia is live on BBC radio 5
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_five_live
Good God, the woman has no shame. She confirmed what I have already stated: this is a trial run to encourage mass immigration. She stated that Barbados population from1980 to this current year should have grown by 82,000! The implication being that she would like to see a growth in the population by 30%! She demanded that those from the Bajan diaspora should make Barbados their home.
Smoke and mirrors; and a shameful piece of opportunism. She will not get away with this. This is a hostile action against the majority black population. An absolute friggin’ disgrace. Where is Hal?
The above link allows you to rewind the interview.
Miller maybe smoking some weed may pass but your buggary for all may be a hard sell. I know I know half the politicians in canada have been doing a lot of querying but the island will have to change if it wants those DINKs ( double income no kids) to come. My neighbors Dave and his wife Dave are selling their house and moving south somewhere you may be on to something
@TLSN
Nothing is surprising. The first thing to consider is that the president is head and shoulders above her political colleagues. They are not equals.
Second, the demographic breakdown of Barbados is of little concern to her; to the president Barbados is the here and now, the future is another country.
Third, and to a certain extent the least troublesome of her crude and infantile ideas, is that she has no vision of a future Barbados either in terms of economic growth or social development.
In May 2018, the people bought a pig in a poke and have three more years in which to tough it out. I have said here on numerous occasions, those who imagine they will vote her out in 2023 are living in cloud cuckoo land. She will not be around contesting a general election.
If she remains in good health, she aspires to a global position; she has already exhausted CARICOM, the regional union.
What is interesting is that the first time she ventured in to this argument about an increased population she said Barbados was too small. But she did not make it clear if she was talking about the physical size of the size of the population.
She has since indicated she meant the size of the population, but has ignored the pressures any such incrdease would put on society in terms of housing, schools, health care, traffic, utilities and, most of all, water use.
Quite obviously, and intentionally, she has not said how an increased population would benefit the vast majority of traditional Barbadians. She is playing a game.
She knows that Barbadians like filling in the gaps and will no doubt go on to explore what she is thinking when she calls for an increased population.
The real danger is the ethnic, racial and religious composition of the New Barbadians. The first thing immigrants pack in their suitcases is their culture and any invasion of New Barbadians will lead inevitably to social conflict. Maybe this is what she wants; or more likely, she does not care.
All this comes together with her reluctance to endorse Black Lives Matter, to join the march, and the continuing militarising of the police.
The president is not as clever as her fan club claims, but she is armed with lots of political tricks and, behind her smile, is a politically dangerous woman. It will end in tears.
@ Hal Austin July 10, 2020 1:10 PM
An independent growth strategy is more important for Barbados than ever before. Guyana will fail as a major investor for Barbados. My view of the situation in Guyana is that the country is on the brink of a civil war with many dead. It is a great misconception that one side of the population is better than the other. Both sides are arming there militarily and have drawn up death lists.
Do we alternatively need more people on our island? In my opinion, the island is overpopulated regardless of wealth or poverty and regardless of being black or white. The environment will not tolerate higher waste production and higher water consumption. Realistically, therefore, we should bring 50,000 rich foreigners into the country and send 50,000 criminals and poor people to Guyana. Crime and poverty is a perfect fit for Guyana, since Burnham the Grand Slayer is also said to have had Barbadian ancestors.
There has been a constant theme shared by our two dominant political parties. Both believe that the majority African population are surplus to requirements and should not be the poster child for “Brand Barbados”.
Our Prime Minister reluctance to endorse Black Lives Matter is in contrast to Michael Holding’s passionate plea in a recent Sky interview. Mia is not interested in “trend” issues unless they have something to do with money. Reparations has become a “trend” issue; and a “trend” which she and others are now looking to exploit.
It has been argued by Hal that Mia is not interested in detail. Her solution to bring prosperity to the island is clear: write off the majority population and replace them with immigrants. She has no interest in the majority population; nor has she any solutions to develop a strong indigenous economy that will strengthen the local population.
The construction industry may stand to profit. The West Coast will benefit. But what about the rest of the island?
In this Covid-19 era we have an opportunity to develop a robust alternative energy sector; yet it has just been announced that we will be developing a waste to energy plant in St Thomas which will be reliant on 80% of its waste from foreign countries!
This BLP government lacks the vision to build an equitable and a developed country with a bright future for the majority of her citizens. The country is crying out for a radical black nationalist party. A party that is hell bent on building a strong and a confident country where its citizens are not cowed subjects who live in fear.
@TLSN July 10, 2020 2:44 AM
“In their desperation to resurrect the economy…”
+++++++++++++++++
Since I am largely to blame for pushing the government of Barbados down the path of attracting digital nomads, I am very keen to hear all the objections to the proposal.
You are entirely correct that it is an act of desperation to rescue the economy. The pandemic has removed over US$1 billion from our national revenue so without something to replace it we will see our poverty rate leap from 17% to over 40%. Do you have an an alternate idea that can bring in over US$1 billion in revenue? If not, you are saying that it does not bother you to see another 60 or 70 thousand of your neighbors slide into abject poverty.
TLSN July 11, 2020 3:39 AM
“The country is crying out for a radical black nationalist party.”
+++++++++++++++++++
I am completely on board for a radical Black nationalist party.
This is not incompatible with bringing International Residents to Barbados to replace our short stay tourism industry. In fact, we should work very hard to recruit Black tech professionals from the USA in particular because they are very tired of living in a corrupt and racist Trumpocracy. Between COVID and Trump we have an unmatched opportunity over the next few months to recruit these people as immigrants. If Trump wins again in November we need to be prepared to exploit that to our long term advantage.
@TLSN
The country had a radical black nationalist party, the PPM, read what Barrow did to them. @PLT, Barbados may be keen on the idea of remote working, but are you sure they want remote black workers?
One thing I will say is that the suggestion of the 12 month work from home in Bim is getting a lot of traction, It has been on many media pages, whether it bears fruit is a waiting game.
For the Gov’t it is nothing ventured nothing gained.
The Interview with the Prime minister of Barbados on Sky News was good Except for the Following, which is, Alarming…
WHY DOES THE PM KEEP BRINGING UP IMPORTING SUCH LARGE AMOUNTS OF IMMIGRANTS INTO BARBADOS OF NO STATED VALUE!
The Thought Crossed Freedom’s Mind what if the PM MAM would use this Strategy as a Stepping Stone to Open Our Immigration doors for 80,000 to come to our shores…And there it was in Plain Sight!
WHAT IS HER AGENDA?
Where Does She want to Import these People From?
What Merit do these People Have that we Could Desire to Have them?
What is Wrong with our Vetting Process?
What Skills are they Bringing that we do not Presently Have?
Are they going to be Bringing FOREX or are they Coming with their Hands Out Stretched?
Who is going to Pay for the Housing for EIGHTY THOUSAND Additional people?
Assuming they are four persons to one house that is TWENTY THOUSAND houses and Plots of Land.
Does Barbados Poor Need Adequate Housing?
Who are Paying for the Services for these People, Free Health? Free Education Etc ( Free Food and Utilities?)
What Kind of Culture are they Coming From? Is it a Violent one? Is it a Corrupt One? Is it a Law Abiding One?
WE NEED TO ASK SERIOUS QUESTIONS, this is a Foreign Agenda Covertly coming upon our Nation being Passed in Jovial Commentary…Whatever Gains and Losses that Barbados has made have been by Barbadians WE DO NOT WANT TO SELL OUT OUR COUNTRY FOR POLITICAL GAIN!
Alternatively, is She Going to Tell us We are Our Brothers Keeper…Words Said only once by Cain the First Murderer in a Book that has Thousands upon Thousands of Words and by many Prophets.… PM Mankind are Keepers of Sheep Not People, unless you make Bajan’s Become Obedient Sheeple!
https://www.facebook.com/CBCNews.bb/videos/582233972478834/
@ Hal Austin July 11, 2020 12:59 PM
Of course Bajans will welcome Black Americans with greenbacks to spend. A significant number of those Americans have Caribbean ancestry somewhere in their genome in any case… they will fit in wonderfully.
@PLT
You are right. Plse remind me when in the last 50 years a Barbados government has ever made an overture to Black business America? Not as tourists, but as business partners.
@Hal
To my knowledge Barbados has never made an overture to Black business America. Am I wrong?
@PLT
I think you are right and this speaks to a attitude of mind. Black America has a lot to offer the islands.
Hal AustinJuly 11, 2020 12:59 PM
“The country had a radical black nationalist party, the PPM…”
++++++++++++++++++
I remember Eric Sealy and the People’s Progressive Movement. I even heard him speak on Fairchild St. as a boy.
@ peterlawrencethompson July 11, 2020 7:37 PM
PLT, So let me sum up your maximum requirements:
programmers and other digital industry workers
minimum salary 100,000 USD per year
home office capability for min. 12 months
black skin colour (Which degree? Are mulattos good enough, do they need some kind of African origin certificate?)
ethnic nationalist (is pan-Africanism or BLM good enough or does it have to be something really radical?)
willingness to leave the USA (i.e. they must not be republicans)
naive enough to let the locals in Barbados take the money out of your pocket.
Dear PLT, you are more likely to win 10 million in the lottery than to find people who fit into THIS pattern. Somehow it reminds me what Trump had in mind when he talked about Norway.
We will be lucky if we attract 500 people in this category to Barbados in the next 10 years – regardless of skin colour or political views.
@Tron July 11, 2020 8:27 PM
“Dear PLT, you are more likely to win 10 million in the lottery than to find people who fit into THIS pattern.”
++++++++++++++++++
More than a handful have already reached out to me just on the basis of my blog post… well OK, only two of them are Black. But I live in hope.
@Tron July 11, 2020 8:27 PM
“We will be lucky if we attract 500 people in this category…”
+++++++++++++++++
You may well be right, but we won’t know unless we try. In any case 500 people means US$50 million in FX earnings, so if we fail like that a couple dozen times we will have failed ourselves right into prosperity. 😉
@PLT
Clearly there were two PPMs, Eric Sealy was not s member of the PPM of Leroy Harewood, John Connell, Glenroy Straughn, Calvin Alleyne, etc.The PPM I am talking about was the one that ran the bookshop in Pinfold Street and published the newspaper.
I also knew Eric ‘Fly’ Sealy, but as a gambler (he used to gamble in my mother’s shop) and hustler.
Damn! Damn! Damn!
The government has taken my brilliant idea and completely f@cked it up! The up front fee of $2k or $3k will completely sabotage the idea. Did they do NO market research??? What a bunch of incompetent @sses!
I did not mind that they stole the idea without attribution, but could they not have the decency to steal it properly?
@PLT
I am really sorry. But for the last two years I have been warning the commenters of BU. Our major problem in Barbados is incompetence. The other problem, @PLT, is that I have not seen you being credited for the idea.
I know some of our political nationalists would not agree, but that is the first thing they would have done in the UK. I have previously warned about my involvement with Invest Barbados.
The theory of contributing is very good, first class, but the reality is something else. We are in a barrel of crabs. @PLT we on BU will make sure they do not forget where the idea came from. Let it be a warning to all those who think they can help.
This who we REALLY are.
The $2k or $3k fee is a naked cash grab by Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. They are in a panic because in 2018 MAM removed their $75 million/yr subsidy and replaced it with the Airline Travel and Tourism Development Fee (ATTDF) charged to departing tourists at the airport in addition to departure tax. Passengers flying outside of CARICOM pay US$70.00 of ATTDF, while those traveling within CARICOM pay US$35.00 of ATTDF. Now that there are not 500,000 tourists departing GAIA, their cash flow has dried up.
This will, of course, simply hand over the entire competitive marketplace to Bermuda, Jamaica, and others who are well on the way to developing offerings of their own.
So BTMI is sabotaging the opportunity to build a billion dollar export industry because they refuse to adapt to the new competitive environment.
@Peter
What the design does is that it leaves the door open for competing destinations to offer a no fee product. Marketing 101, own the space first.
@David
I know that people in Bermuda and Jamaica are already working on competitive products.
@PLT
Yours @7.15am July 12, 2020
I completely agree with you, seems like when the PM was on the various media selling the product, she didn’t mention the fine print of an up-front ”administration” fee. As you mentioned there are so many copycat Caribbean Gov’ts that she has left the door wide open for others to lowball Barbados.
The BTMI should be busy preparing an Information package to support the peterlawrencethompson idea.
Accomodation currently available. Proximity to beach, supermarkets cost of living etc.
I thought the idea was for the people to pay money for services. Isn’t that enough?????
This fee conveys the message that they need us more than we need them. Big damn turn off! It’s supposed to be mutual. They are supposed to be adopted like into a family.
Don’t these people know how to put themselves in other people’s shoes????
They should pay Peter a consultancy fee. If they haven’t messed up the opportunity, that is.
Imagine Peter found a safe way to salvage something and the fools may have blown it!
The Barbados Government have taken a Good Idea and Corrupted it.
The Devil is Always in the Details. Why would some pay (example), a man and his wife $3.000 US per month for the Privilege of working not in Barbados but from Barbados. A Tourist who spends a month and a half in Barbados pays no Fees and they can still work remotely while here and even get an Extension on their Visas and still work from Barbados and Not in Barbados.
We want Long Term Visitors. Why would you Penalize this kind of Long term Visitor? If you said that Families taking advantage of our Free Schooling will have to pay a user’s fee, not in the range they have spoken about, that would be acceptable. They already have in place that Non Nationals pay at the Hospital so they are not entitled to free health care.
The Details says we have a Duck that Lays Golden Eggs so Let’s Kill the Duck and get all the Golden Eggs one time. Thereby ensuring they will never get a Golden Egg. But you know who will get Golden Eggs…Those Countries who are Considerate and not so Avaricious Charging this kind of money and allows the Duck to Live. They will get many Golden Eggs over a Period of time…not the Greedy Politicians that will end up Sabotaging the efforts and that others will utilize properly!
https://tradebrains.in/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/dont-Kill-The-Goose-That-Lays-the-Golden-Eggs.png
I keep hearing about “Many hands make light work” how about another aphorism “Too many cooks spoil the broth”
Has Freedom Crier undergone a personality change? I actually agree with her!
WANT A FURTHER BOOST TO THE TOURISM INDUSTRY…UTILIZE THE GIFT YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN…
Barbados Will Be Remembered as an Island of Refuge in a Time of Crisis!
Build a Port that these Big Beauties can Dock Bringing Prosperity to the Island…Barbados could also be their Hub en route to the Americas.
THINK BIG!!!
https://www.facebook.com/barbadosportinc/photos/pcb.3189771501120243/3189771367786923/?type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/barbadosportinc/photos/pcb.3189022261195167/3189021881195205/?type=3&theater
Lol why do you think they charge a large cover at boatyard this is to keep the real dead beats out but they should actually up it and kick something back on villa or apt rental to keep out the people living with folks you want spenders . Think of yourself as a big harbour lights 10000 to get in drinks free
In Harbour Lights People get their Drinks because they have Pre paid…So what are these people getting in Return when they pay US 36.000 for a man to come with his family to Barbados and have to show that he only makes US 50.000 per year? What is left for him to live on and pay rent? Who is dreaming up these Cockamamie Charges that the very people you are hoping to Attract you are Penalising? In addition, the regular tourist that wants to stay at the cheapest hotel or guest house or homes to go, do not pay any fees!
And this Prime minister wants to have Free movement of people in the Caribbean that may include the Gangs in Jamaica to Set up Business here, the Jihadist in Trinidad to Radicalize our local population and to import Migrant from Africa up to 80.000 when we do not have adequate housing, adequate water, etc. Moreover, they do not have to pay nothing and get Free Services, Education, Hospital, because you have Invited them here …
What kind of madness is this that you would charge people from more developed countries these exorbitant fees and invite anybody else to come to Barbados Free. Does that make Sense?
WHO IN BAY STREET IS DOING THE MATH?
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/e2/28/77/e22877657811c9cb744ca5b8ef35d809.jpg
my concern is >=80,000 new Bajans(I don’t care where they are from); water shortages; food, and available land
@FC
The question must be asked “WHO IN BAY STREET IS DOING THE MATH?”
I think the $3k is a one-time fee.
Freedom Crier July 12, 2020 1:41 PM
The only thing that giant cruise ships will bring to Barbados is thousands of new cases of COVID-19.
No thanks.
@TLSN July 12, 2020 1:41 PM
“Has Freedom Crier undergone a personality change? I actually agree with her!”
++++++++++++++++++
I know… I was shocked that she made sense. The BTMI is indeed trying to sabotage the PM’s brilliant initiative by killing the goose.
@ peterlawrencethompson July 12, 2020 3:07 PM
So According to PLT it’s okay to Open the Borders by Air with people in an enclosed environment for Hours but not on Luxury Liners for fear of new cases of Covid-19?
He sounds like those Mayors in the US who want to keep people in Lock-down but approves of Protestors and Rioting as if they can be excused from the Virus!
Let’s be Clear…PLT is Anti-Tourism Period! He had No Hope for a Boost in Tourism, by Air or Sea! According to him, Tourism is Dead!
What a Waste of Opportunity for Barbados that extended the Olive Branch that will be remembered for a very long time by those who Own and work on these Magnificent Vessels to follow Narrow thinking people that have no Hope and who live in Fear!
https://www.facebook.com/barbadosportinc/photos/pcb.3189771501120243/3189771461120247/?type=3&theater
Four places that will not host the 82,000
From BT
“The Barbados Water Authority is advising customers in some parts of St Lucy, St Peter, St John and St Joseph that they will continue to experience low pressure or water outages as low reservoir levels and reduced capacity continue to be an issue at BWA facilities at the Hope, Lamberts and Bowmanston.”
Here they come.
https://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/246647/strict-protocols-132-arrive-commercial-flight
Canadian rapper Drake arrived on his private jet.
The Rihanna effect.
Risky business ?
https://barbadostoday.bb/2020/07/15/canadian-based-professional-says-its-too-soon-for-tourists-to-come/
“We have had a number of discussions via webinars within the intellectual community about immediate solutions to the tourism challenges and the need to have people who work remotely in these North American countries and Western spaces come to the Caribbean, and do so,” Dr Marshall told Barbados TODAY.
https://barbadostoday.bb/2020/07/15/more-to-be-done-says-lecturer/
Has anyone noticed that in the absence of an economic strategy that every idea we come up with is based around tourism?