Senator and religious leader Dr. David Durant wants Barbados’ tourism planners to tap into the fast-growing international religious travel market.
“As a small island developing state with tourism being our main income earner and employment-generating engine, Barbados needs to diversify its tourist product and discover new streams that are more versatile and dynamic…” Durant suggested.
Addressing tourism officials and about 100 pastors and other religious leaders at a breakfast meeting at Hilton?Barbados this morning, Senator Durant urged Barbados not to be left behind in what he said had become such a popular trend in travel that the recently formed World Religious Travel Asociation was hosting the World Religious Travel Expo in October in Florida, the first ever trade show and convention being held on a global scale for religious tourism.
And he urged Barbados not to be left behind in this new era of faith tourism, observing that “tour operators, cruise lines, travel destinations and other travel entities are entering into the religious tourism market because it is becoming a very lucrative business.”The breakfast was hosted by the Barbados Tourism Authority in advance of next month’s Praise in Paradise gospel event at the Wildey Gymnasium from September 9-10.
