The Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) wants to increase visitor spend in Barbados with an approach that would commit visitors to spending even before they arrive on the island.
Its president Colin Jordan said the BHTA’s marketing committee was about to present a proposal to the association’s board that would spell out the details of using e-commerce to reach prospective visitors.
Speaking last week at a forum designed to update the public on developments in tourism, Jordan noted: “Barbados is a quality destination, but we want to encourage people to spend even before they get here.
“We expect that it will help us to extract those dollars from the increased numbers of guests that we have.”
The BHTA?president joined Barbados Tourism Authority chairman Ralph Taylor and president David Rice for the Conversation With the Public session at Almond Beach Club and Spa attended by the media.
Of a recent promotional trip to Canada, he said, “We indicated to our partners that we are serious about the Canadian business.”
The feedback was positive, he added, pointing out that the face-to-face contact was necessary. He observed that Barbados’ tourism competitors had been reaping huge benefits from that level of interaction in the Canadian market.
Canada has remained Barbados’ most reliable and productive source market for tourism business.
“Even as we spoke to tourism and tried to increase business for tourism, we also spoke to international business; to persons who would have influence in [other] areas, such as those who would want to buy second homes in Barbados; those who bring their skills and foreign currency to the country.
“We took a broad approach to the meeting rather than a specificic tourism focus,” Jordan reported.