BTA in damage control

BTA President David Rice.

Thu, April 19, 2012 - 12:12 PM

The Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) is determined to minimize the impact that the closure of Almond Beach Village will have on the tourism industry.

According to a release from the BTA, it had engaged the highest levels of management of its major airline partners and key travel partners
in Barbados and overseas.

“These discussions centred on determining initiatives to ensure that all existing room and airline bookings are facilitated and [to ensure] that Barbados will be in a position to maintain its market share during this period of adjustment,” the release said.

BTA president and chief executive officer David Rice said that while the organization was “saddened about the Almond decision, we remain fully committed to working with our travel partners globally to buttress the overall impact of the loss of these 395 rooms.

“Our aim is to implement strategically sound measures in the short term to alleviate the immediate fall-out for all concerned,” he added.
The BTA’s proposal centred on a special incentive programme that would provide displaced guests with a value added suite of savings, which would be designed to address the value proposition of an all-inclusive package. (PR)