Once there is familiarity, the human tendency is to take things for granted. But when it comes to our capital city of Bridgetown and the way we treat our tourists, those in authority ought to recognise by now that we are creating a scenario of neglect that can be quite dangerous.
Yes, we have spoken before of the absolute need to improve the esthetics of Bridgetown to make it more attractive to visitors and far more competitive when juxtaposed against other regional destinations.
In the meantime, however, Bridgetown still has much to offer and, with minimal intervention, its allure can be vastly increased. It is against this background that we feel compelled to express our grave concern about what appears to be large-scale wandering of cruise ship passengers around The City, particularly on Sundays and public holidays.
The fact that commercial activity in our capital is almost non-existent on these days, and there are few nationals traversing its streets, the presence of these wandering guests appears even more pronounced. It really is a sad sight, especially when you realise that on these days, one of the most jarring scenes is the number of vagrants they literally have to step over.
Like it or not, based on trends all over the Western world, it is quite clear that we will have these street dwellers in our capital for some time to come, but they cannot be allowed to become the picture our visitors take away from our island.
There can be no doubt that one of the fastest growing events on the annual Crop Over calendar over the last few years has been the Walking Tour Of Bridgetown. What is to stop us from creating a version of this spectacle and perhaps scheduling it twice or thrice on Sundays and holidays, while charging a nominal fee?
Additionally, or alternatively, why can’t the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association, the Barbados National Trust, one of The City-based taxi co-ops or some enterprising individual or culture-based organisation create a walking tour of Bridgetown, specifically for Sundays, that takes in some of the interesting places in our capital?
It can’t be so hard for the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. to engage a local creative designer, or even the Barbados Community College, to produce eye-catching information signs at all City sites that currently display none.
And is there some law that prevents the opening of the Barbados National Heroes Gallery and Parliament Museum on Sundays? Can’t that generate a few more jobs at a time when the country needs them so badly? Why is there not a detailed information board telling the history of our path to Independence somewhere near the statue of Errol Barrow in Independence Square? While we are at it, how does any visitor walking through Bridgetown know that he has arrived in Heroes Square?
From Pelican Village to the Cheapside Market, St Mary’s Church, Jubilee Gardens, Nelson Statue, The Cenotaph and Dolphin Fountain and the Screw Dock, we have the start of what can be an engaging Sunday City tour, with the capacity to eliminate aimless wandering by our guests.
And this does not have to be a job for any Government agency, although an enterprising Bajan who attempts it would certainly need the support of these bodies.
We can’t be the only ones who have noticed these wandering tourists, and we can’t be the only ones concerned that there is a strong possibility they that return to their ships with a less than awe-inspiring impression of us.
It’s time for us to act!