by CARLOS ATWELL

A WEST COAST HOTELIER feels this island's international reputation as an upscale tourist destination is being tarnished by the ever increasing number of cruise
ship visitors.

Hotelier Dr Nigel Roberts said the problem could be seen especially in the Paynes Bay, St James area where often hundreds of people flooded the beach when cruise liners berthed at the Bridgetown Port.

Roberts does not think the cruise ships visitors "really contribute significantly to foreign exchange receipts".

"The people we should be looking out for are those who stay for two or three weeks or more, not cruise ship passengers who spend a few hours and leave a mess of the beach. They [the former] bring in far more money," he said.

Roberts, a former chief medical officer on the cruise ship Queen Elizabeth 2, said the problem was made worse by the habit of certain establishments offering incentives to taxi drivers to bring them a certain number of tourists per day.

Compounding the problem, he said, were beach chair and jet ski operators who were frequently abusive when spoken to about their activities.

"This beach [in Baynes Bay] is more like Coney Island. I have been threatened in front of my guests by people, saying I don't like black people and this is not my beach. This is not Barbados," he said.

Roberts said the beach operators spread their chairs from as early as 7 a.m and often set up directly in front of his guests.

As for the jet ski operators, he said they sometimes drove their machines right up to people on the beach; so he had buoys put in place to mark off the bathing area, which he had to replace after they were cut.

To make matters worse, he said a number of his visitors had indicated they would not be returning and he had even been approached by the news media in Britain about the issue which he said could seriously ruin Barbados' image. He said he has so far declined to comment to the British media.

Roberts showed a DAILY NATION team letters sent to the Ministry of Tourism, the Barbados Tourism Authority and the National Conservation Commission regarding the issue, adding he had received word from former Minister of Tourism Noel Lynch, but now there was a new administration, his work would have to start all over again.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Andrew Cox, confirmed meeting with Roberts and added the issue was still being looked at.

"We have had meetings with other governmental departments with a view to addressing the issue of overcrowding to everyone's satisfaction."

He said he was unaware of any issue involving taxi drivers but said if that was the case, his ministry would also speak with them and any organisation offering them incentives.

carlosatwell@nationnews.com