IT WILL TAKE MORE than sea and sand if Barbados wants to attract more affluent tourists.
New research produced by Brussels-based research agency TCI Research in partnership with its Caribbean representative, Barbadian tourism consultant May Hinds, has shown that most affluent visitors to the Caribbean are couples and families in the 35 to 50 plus age group.
Information released via the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organisation showed that these individuals “choose the region mostly on the recommendation of friends and relatives, stay on average 7.7 nights, and the purpose of their visit is to relax, mostly by engaging in beach activities. Nightlife, bars and clubs are also popular with affluent visitors”.
Hinds, who is chief executive officer of May Hinds Consulting Inc., said, “If you are looking to get more bang for your buck out of your marketing and promotion budget, it is this kind of market intelligence which makes a real difference.”
“Such information is critical for national tourism organisations, hotels and other tourism establishments looking to make the right marketing decisions to more effectively target these big spenders and boost their business revenue,” she added.
Under a strategic partnership between May Hinds Consulting Inc. and TCI Research, the two companies are collaborating on a marketing support intervention themed “how to increase tourism receipts” based on the said affluent visitors.
It is designed for national tourism organisations, hotels and other tourism establishments in the region.
A summary of the report has been provided to these entities. (SC/PR)