GOVERNMENT will not be backing down from investing in activity and areas that are likely to increase Barbados' productive capacity even if it pushes the deficit higher.

That's the assurance of Minister of Tourism and International Transport Noel Lynch as he addressed the launch of the Zagat 2007 Best of Barbados Survey at Lion Castle Polo Club in St Thomas Saturday night.

"Government in this country will continue to be entrepreneurial in an environment of accountability and in an environment of transparency, and we are not backing down from that," he stated.

He added that Government understood what Cricket World Cup 2007 and other major events would do for the island in the future.

The minister also lauded the Barbados Tourism Authority for organising the survey, noting that the work being done would change the pace of Barbados' tourism industry.

"What this [the survey] would do is place Barbados in a special category. We know who our customers are, we know where they are to be found, but what we do need to do is continue to create that vision and push that brand," Lynch said.

However, he stressed that too much time was spent on what he labelled as "non-issues" surrounding advertising and promotions.

"There are some other pillars of tourism development that we have not spent enough time on and that we need to develop even further.

"Clearly, we can do a lot more with human resource development, but we have now started to embark on institutional development."

Lynch also noted that the issue of product development could not be "divorced" from marketing.

In an environment where the product was mostly led by the private sector, he added, Government still needed to play an integral role inits development.

"Government needs to play a more substantial role at the level of entrepreneurship, particularly if the private sector is not stepping up to the plate. But it must be done in a environment of transparency and accountability," he added. (JR-B)