Businessman Peter Harris has assumed chairmanship of the board of the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.
A media statement said the appointment would be in effect for two years. Harris replaced former chairman Shelly Williams and Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Ian Gooding-Edghill, thanked her for her tenure, which started in 2022.
Other members of the board include deputy chairman Gayle Talma who was retained, Sheldene Matthews-Mottley, Andrea Brome, Carol Roberts-Reifer, Ronnie Carrington, Jo-ann Roett, Patrica Affonso-Dass, Kevyn Yearwood, Nicholas Parker, Paul Collymore, Senator Ryan Forde, Cicely Callender and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport, Francine Blackman.
“The board reflects the range of skills needed to further advance Barbados’ tourism success and to ensure the appropriate strategies and policy directives of the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport are executed,” Gooding-Edghill said.
“The primary purpose of the board is to implement Barbados’ tourism marketing strategies to ensure consistent brand awareness globally and to achieve year on year growth in visitor arrivals.”
The Minister said there was a lot of work to be done to accelerate the country’s tourism growth strategy.
“As is widely acknowledged, Barbados’ economy and society heavily depend on tourism earnings which, while being successful in the past few years, we are always preparing ourselves to effectively manage any and every development that affect tourism operations; bearing in mind that we must work to grow the sector in all circumstances.
“Our successful airlift strategy will continue to be one of key the pillars central to our tourism growth strategy, along with our further stimulation of emerging markets to add to our existing source markets, to generate increased arrivals to Barbados.” (PR/SAT)
