Foreign and regional media had a profound impact on this year’s Crop Over Festival.
Minister of Tourism and International Transport Ian Gooding-Edghill recently said the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) had spearheaded a major media blitz which would only increase Barbados’ reputation as a preferred destination.
“The BTMI-led media team had more than 50 international journalists, content creators and other media representatives on island, who
already have the built-in networks and audiences we need to reach. These media representatives were given an immersion beyond the festival to see what we have to offer on island.
“They covered everything from band house preparations to the return of Party Monarch, Junior Monarch, Junior Kadooment and the last lap activities. They interviewed historians, artisans, artistes and cultural practitioners so global audiences could understand the true historical depth of the festival,” he said.
Gooding-Edghill said this was not the extent of the initiative, as the invited media and influencers got hands-on experience with local culture.
“The BTMI continued its specialised ‘Culture Day’ with the media and influencers getting first-hand experiences, learning the significance of our stilt walkers and Mother Sally, trying their hand at T-shirt cutting and diving into the art of mixology, which further solidifies Barbados’ global status as the Birthplace of Rum. The exposure of media and travel professionals on island helps us to tell Barbados’ story and to motivate would-be travellers to visit the island,” he said.
As for those visitors, the minister said, while Crop Over continued to drive an influx of visitors from the Caribbean and North America, he declined to speak to exact figures until the official statistics were published. However, he said early indicators revealed some visitors were extending their stays in Barbados after Crop Over.
“I extend a special thank you to our hotel partners, some of whom brought in their own travel groups to complement the efforts of the BTMI. This kind of collaboration goes a long way in positioning Barbados as a leading destination and it is fantastic for stakeholder engagement across the tourism sector.
“I want to thank all our partners and stakeholders who supported the destination and I am incredibly optimistic that we will see
these benefits materialised in the months ahead and well before Crop Over 2027,” he said, adding BTMI officers in Barbados’ external markets were already gearing up to intensify their Crop Over promotions for next year.
(CA)