SIPPING A DRINK on a luxury catamaran in the middle of Carlisle Bay on a late summer’s evening, I have to admit, does give you a whole new perspective on things.
By things I mean tourism, as, unable to live that kind of lifestyle on my own, I was given a couple hours’ experience of it at a cocktail party on the water. There were six cocktail parties going on at the same time, hence the flotilla. A glass-bottomed boat by day turned into a deejay station by night. Yes, I know, folks, journalism can be a tough business.
I and a few other reporters were invited to join the “flotilla” of six of Barbados’ best-known tourist catamarans as a three-day meeting of tourism convention planners reached its finale. We would eventually end up at the Boatyard where a band seasoned with one spice and several other lesser condiments regaled the conference attendees.
But for me the true experience was on the sea, and all of us who have ever taken a night cruise would know how great that can be.
Of the half dozen boats on the water, mine was sponsored by Sam Lord’s Castle, so I had the benefit of a full, if informal, outline of the plans for that 55-acre property and the international eco-standards it has built in as goals to achieve. And this from none other than Michael Phillips, a talented and experienced Bajan hotelier who is leading the construction project on behalf of the Government.
After telling me all about it, Michael asked me to tell him what I thought about all he had said. The only word I could come up with was “ambitious.” I meant it in a positive way, because if the new Sam Lord’s can emerge from the ashes in the way described, then it will surely be once more, a national treasure.
Despoiling the Bay
But as I listened to all of the exciting plans for that long neglected part of the east coast, the beauty of the evening and panorama before me kept intruding on my thoughts, as you would expect. I kept looking at the glittering Hilton, half a mile away and just down the bay from it, the new Radisson. These properties have been there since the 60s, and to date I haven’t heard any claim of despoiling the bay or the beaches with waste or chemicals.
Then you have Casablanca, which hosts day trippers, and the afore-mentioned Boatyard, one of Barbados’ longest serving day-and-night entertainment spots. Again, excuse the bad grammar, ditto re pollution problems.
But there seems to be coming one behemoth of an edifice which apparently will finally despoil the natural beauty of our historic and most beautiful natural harbour at the southwest hub of our beloved country, if you believe some of the things you hear.
Yes, folks, what the 350-room Hilton, the smaller but also significantly-sized Radisson, and the other tourism venues have been unable to do will finally be achieved by the Hyatt Centric, with its 230 rooms, if you believe some of the things you hear.
But sitting out in the bay on a glorious evening, you wonder why people’s personal dislikes or other agendas should be allowed to work their will, and perhaps impede the further logical, rational development of one of our most beautiful, and tourism-needing areas.
Instead, we should welcome the Hyatt once all the usual checks like EIAs and so on are carried out, as I am sure they will be. The status conferred by UNESCO in naming our capital as a heritage site should help, not impede, ongoing professional development of Carlisle Bay.
At least, that is how it seemed to me aboard a catamaran in the middle of our most famous and picturesque bay.
Patrick Hoyos is a journalist and publisher specialising in business.
Email: [email protected]
