There appears to be a growing trend of people in privileged public positions lambasting those in the private sector.
Only recently, on a popular call-in programme, a senator cast aspersions and innuendo on the elected unpaid president of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA), Patricia Affonso-Dass, questioning, among other things, her political affiliation.
Is it so difficult to understand that the head of that organization is a volunteer who gives up an enormous amount of their time – without financial reward – to fairly represent and lobby for the subscription-paying members of a private sector trade association.
That individual’s role is not to pay lip service to any Government, its representatives or supporters, but to articulate unresolved challenges the sector is clearly experiencing, and, if it is felt these concerns are repeatedly being ignored, to “up the ante”.
In her recent report, delivered at the BHTA’s annual general meeting, some of those concerns were expressed.
Tourism Master Plan
“It was recognized and agreed that while we wait for the completion of the Tourism Master Plan, we need to implement immediate action to tackle the crisis now at hand,” Affonso-Dass said.
It also appears there is an increasing chain of thought that hoteliers are always moaning and demanding a level of attention that cannot be reasonably justified.
That may be the case in some instances, but you have to think why this could be. Certainly in tourism, hotel owners make the biggest investments and take the highest risks. The public at large seems to be quite happy that millions are “given” to cruise ship companies which, when the going gets tough, simply pull up anchor and sail off to more profitable climes.
The luxury of this option is clearly not available to their terra firma-based competitors.
A recently published report concluded that of all the average cruise passengers’ discretionary spending, 82 per cent is spent onboard ship and only 18 per cent on land. This again brings into question the overall net contribution made by this sector and those people supporting the opening of ship casinos and shops while in port may wish to reconsider.
It also has to be repeated, time after time, that Government does not generate the monies to sustain the country; it is the private sector that fulfills this function. Therefore, is it so strange that it wishes, and possibly expects, to exert some influence on critical policymaking decisions that directly impact on their investments.
GEMS fiasco
We have all seen what happens when the private sector does not speak up, perhaps typified by the two examples of the GEMS fiasco and ill-fated chartering of Carnival Destiny. Generations yet to be born will be repaying the price of these disastrous decisions and the negative consequences they have inflicted on the sector.
By the time this column is published, the last stated booking date for the much vaunted Barbados Island Inclusive promotion would have expired. Our policymakers perhaps will be either thinking of extending the booking window, while carefully analyzing if the initiative has driven the predicted additional 15 000 long-stay visitors between May and December 2013.
The word “additional” is absolutely critical to the equation. Of course, it’s a good idea to reward returnees but this promotion was intended to drive new business rather than dilute the income of repeat visitors.
