WITH MORE THAN 30 COUNTRIES all selling the same thing – sea, sand, sun and scenery – to potential tourists, how can Barbados market itself as an attractive provider of an idyllic vacation experience?
That question is important these days as almost every island nation or coastal state in the world’s most tourism-dependent region competes for a share of a huge travel market in order to kick-start economic growth at a time of the worst economic recession since the 1930s.
“We have to do more than promote ourselves as a leisure destination,” Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy said in New York at the annual Caribbean Tourism Week sponsored by the Barbadian-based Caribbean Tourism Organisation.
That was why last Friday afternoon, Sealy and senior officials of the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA), including deputy chairman Austin Husbands and fellow board member Dr Kerry Hall, along with Urban Cumberbatch, the BTA’s acting North American director, played hosts at a special media lunch.
It was attended by journalists who specialise in writing about travel, wine and food for key publications, including Travel & Leisure and Food & Wine.
The function was held at Colicchio, an upscale restaurant on Tenth Avenue and 15th Street in the Chelsea section of Manhattan.
“It is a natural development since we have been gaining a reputation internationally for being a destination with a lot of world-class culinary offerings,” Sealy said. “What we are really trying to do is to leverage that fact by having another event that can help bring in people.
“So we are going to have some world-class chefs as well work with us.”
Actually, Barbados is joining forces with American Express Publishing, which puts out some major monthly magazines with global circulations. It specialises in fine dining and travel, and it is coming together with the BTA to stage the festival it is hoping would enhance its presence in the North American marketplace.
“We have decided to join with the BTA as partners in this culinary festival to be held over four days in November,” said Niloufar Motamed, food editor of Travel & Leisure. “We are seeking to take advantage of the well known Bajan hospitality to ensure that the entire event is successful.”
The festival makes sense. With Barbados already distinguishing itself from the rest of the Caribbean by having its own Zagat guide, the only country in the Western Hemisphere with such, the destination is using dining in a way that few have attempted.
“Zagat rates cities, not countries; so with our own guide we are really building on what we have in excellent restaurants that give visitors and nationals of our country a wonderful dining experience to market our country,” the minister said.
But the festival isn’t simply about creations in the kitchen. Rum, a product which Barbados virtually gave to the world in the 17th century, is being fully integrated into the celebration.
“We are proud of our heritage, and part of that is rum production,” Sealy told the luncheon guests.
Sit at a lunch table with Dr Hall, daughter of West Indies cricket legend Rev. Wes Hall, a former Minister of Tourism, and the BTA board member can enliven the dining experience with keen insights into the delicate nature of wines and rum.
The United States and Canadian travel markets are taking on increasing importance to Barbados as it seeks to spur economic growth after two disastrous years when the economy went into a tailspin.
Barbados is also looking to sport to extend the destination’s reach. Sealy said that last month’s World Cup Twenty20 final and the thousands of English fans who came to the country for the game boosted earnings.
Now the country is having discussions with the PGA about staging a world-class golfing event. Later this year, it will host the Women’s World Boxing Championship.
