A KEY FUNCTION of a Government is to give leadership to its people and inspire hope in them. This intervention is even more critical when a country like Barbados is caught up in a relentless global financial crisis with few bright sparks of relief on the horizon.
As such, I understand why Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler, for example, is upbeat whenever speaking about the economy, and tends to hint at better days ahead.
He did it earlier this month when he promised that “very good” things were coming in relation to the stalled Four Seasons project and a resolution to the CLICO debacle.
Sinckler was doing his job. He was seeking to give the public hope.
No doubt Sinckler also sees himself as doing his job when he dismisses other views that are contrary to Government’s. Because such point of views can have the effect of lessening the impact of his administration’s message, they can’t be allowed to circulate freely. And if those views can’t be challenged, given the basis of their facts, then the individual or organization that disseminates them is criticized, often by ascribing nefarious motives for their comments.
I’m not picking on Sinckler here. He does what every member of every Government – whether the administration is formed by the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) or the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) – would do. That is the nature of party politics. It is their modus operandi.
The problem with this approach, though, is when the evidence on the ground portrays a different picture. Then, whatever the Government spokesperson says that is contrary to the obvious situation makes a mockery of his/her statement, and far from inspiring citizens, angers them.
For these reasons Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy’s media conference at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre last Thursday was interesting.
In what could best be described as a feel-good session, Sealy predicted a rosy future for cruise ship business here come next year. And he said Barbados was set to capture even more of the billion-dollar cruise market when the $400 million Sugar Point cruise terminal was completed at Trevor’s Way.
Coming the day after the MIDWEEK NATION highlighted the negative views many tourists had about their treatment at the Grantley Adams International Airport, increasing incidents of violence against tourists, as well as reports of tough times within the industry, the minister put the best positive spin on the sector that he could.
No problem with that. Like Sinckler, he, too, was doing his job.
Unfortunately, the minister did not touch on the more immediate crisis facing the local hotel sector and the likely impact of this on the economy.
Therefore his comments, clearly aimed at showing forward movement in one aspect of the industry, did not speak to frustrated hoteliers, restaurateurs and other service providers feeling the economic squeeze, their staffs who have been working two- and three-day weeks even during the winter season, and potential investors who keep hearing woes but can’t see the implementation of initiatives to turn around the trend.
What made matters worse for Sealy was that less than 48 hours before, a meeting was held between hoteliers, other tourism players and local private sector interests who painted what they felt was the true picture of what Barbados faces for the remainder of this year. It was not a pretty picture.
Hoteliers projected their business will be down by more than ten per cent this year. They said electricity costs had risen three times in 18 months and this hike, together with other increasing operating costs, would make the forthcoming months a major challenge for their operations. What’s worse is that in order to remain competitive they cannot offset these costs by raising room rates. And this situation is compounded by a number of properties making only enough to service the interest on their loans, leaving little or no capital to reinvest in upgrading them.
The hoteliers are therefore fearing more closures over the next few months and are worried about the effect the unemployment that comes from this can have on crime in Barbados and on our reputation as a safe destination.
With such serious concerns being openly expressed by some of the tourism sector’s major players, Sealy’s say on cruise tourism, though important in its own right, pales in significance to the urgent solutions needed to help this vital industry.
Let’s hope, along with the hoteliers, that Sinckler follows through with his promises on the Hotel Innovation Fund as this would go some way in breathing life back into the sector and possibly helping to save some properties from going under.
• Sanka Price is a NATION editor. Email him at [email protected]
