Man of the moment: Paul Samuda, Director of Caribbean Hotels with (left) Anne-Marie Thompson of the Crane Resort and Dawn Kirton of Bougainvillea Resort.

by BERNARD BABB

BARBADOS expects to record three per cent growth in land-based tourism and a ten per cent increase in cruise passengers this year.

Acting Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Senator Rudy Grant, told this to industry partners as he spoke during a celebration to mark the fourth anniversary of the operations of Caribbean Hotels, a British company in Barbados.

Caribbean Hotels, a London-based online tour operator which does business with 400 hotels in the region, on Saturday night hosted industry partners, sponsors, staff, friends and well-wishers for a celebration at the new Wispers Restaurant, Bay Street.

A highlight of the night was a live performance from Gwen Dickey, the former lead singer of the 1970s American pop group Rose Royce.

In thanking the company, which has a satellite office in St James, for steering business to properties in Barbados, Grant said the island was committed to partnerships with all stakeholders in the industry.

He praised the company for doing things differently and working with the destination to achieve significant success in a globally competitive business.

Grant said the revamping of the Tourism Development Act by Government had done much to facilitate such partnerships with Barbados and had also created a platform for further diversification of the island's tourism product and continued growth in earnings from the sector.

He also reported that earnings from the sector were increasing and visitor spending was also on an upward curve in 2007.

Chairman of Caribbean Hotels, George Stout, said the decision to open an office in Barbados proved correct after they had examined such factors as cost of labour, local inflation, political stability, Internet growth and access to other regional markets.

The company expects to sell 50 000 room nights to Barbados and other Caribbean territories next year and is in the business of selling online holidays in the United Kingdom market, mainly to Barbados. (BB)