Depending on which of the multitude of sources you believe, our average year round hotel occupancy is quoted at around 67 percent. Recently a senior industry spokesperson stated that we have a total of ‘6,000 hotel rooms and 3,000 villa rooms’. This does not of course include the explosion of alternative lodging choices which has ‘appeared’ over the last decade.
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I really hate opening any column with a negative, but after tourism leading the way for so many years, one is left to wonder why we cannot even seem to get the simple things right? Returning into Grantley Adams International Airport from London recently off a British Airways flight that was not quite full, at around the same time a
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As I enter my 53rd Year in tourism it’s perhaps time to reflect on some of the very many experiences and opportunities this incredible industry has brought to me. Having spent a prolonged period as a child in hospital being treated for what, at that time, was a disease with a 50% mortality survival rate, the seemingly endless days were
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As we end another challenging year and enter a new hopefully more positive one, it would appear disingenuous not to have a 2019 wish list or perhaps more realistically a dream list. So just for the sake of it, here is mine (not necessarily in order of implementation). I remain firmly convinced that there is a great deal more to
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If the reporting is factually correct, then all of us should warmly welcome the recent announcement by Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, stating that ‘the country’s tourism sector is about to become a level playing field when it comes to concessions granted for food and beverage importation’. Adding ‘she had tasked Minister of Tourism, Kerrie Symmonds, to eradicate the bureaucratic unevenness
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Submitted by PUDRYR Some weeks ago, the ole man noted a comment from Mr. William Skinner, a fellow blogger where, while he spoke of breaking the deleterious chains of this BDLP Duopoly, he suggested the possible advancing of Rihanna Fenty as Prime Minister. The ole man has been examining his suggestion anew in the light our serious need for “New
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Many years ago, I bounced an idea off the late Sir Harold St. John, which we dubbed the 10/10 concept. Originally the 10/10 concept was geared towards our 100 plus small hotels which, according to the recognised Caribbean definition, is a property under 76 rooms, the typical small hotel on Barbados is closer to 22 rooms. The objective was to
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