As we have now crossed the halfway stage of the winter tourism season, it is looking increasingly doubtful that any predictions of a strong performance in this sector will become a reality.
The January long-stay visitor arrivals figures are especially alarming: an overall fall of 8.2 per cent across all markets, but significantly concerning are the numbers from Canada, which saw an 18.4 per cent fall compared to the same month in 2012.
The United States was down 11.1 per cent, Britain down 2.4 per cent, and Trinidad down a staggering 40.6 per cent.
Whoever assumes the office of Government later this week will finally have to take a long and hard look at current marketing strategies, and even if this is deemed an imperative, there is very little likelihood that any measures implemented at this late stage will make an iota of difference before April 15.
So the next challenge is the eight long, softer summer months.
The outgoing administration, after five years in power, had seemingly abandoned any attempt to fulfil their previously stated 2008 manifesto objective to restructure the Barbados Tourism Authority.
This despite an overwhelming mandate to effect change.
According to its own web site, “The Barbados Tourism Authority’s functions are to promote, assist and facilitate the efficient development of tourism; to design and implement suitable marketing strategies for the effective promotion of the tourism industry” – the declared mission statement of the agency.
I think the question has to be asked, are these goals being successfully achieved in the most cost effective and productive ways?
Clearly there are challenges, but every other regional destination is also experiencing these difficulties. Whoever is elected this Thursday will quickly have to formulate policies to redress the loss of over 100 000 long-stay visitors over the last five years and nearly that number of cruise ship passengers in a single year, 2012.
And the fact that these decisions will have to be made as we enter the shoulder season makes this task even more daunting.
My only hope is that any new or returning administration will realize that while it may garner a few votes, putting friends and cronies without the necessary skills and knowledge into critical policymaking positions is not in the national interest.
What has honestly surprised me leading up to the election is the lack of discussion and proffering of constructive solutions to our current crisis in tourism.
It almost appears that those who have recently left power and those aspiring to achieve it simply don’t have any new ideas or even know where to turn to find them.
We entered 2013 without any coherent national marketing plan and this must be a great source of concern for the private sector. With dramatically eroded viability, I doubt the majority of tourism partners have the means to assume the responsibility of promoting both their own business and the destination.
Much emphasis has been placed on the role of hoteliers and that the industry is a lot more than about them. Absolutely right, but at the end of the day they have almost always made the single largest investment and have the most to lose if the destination suffers.
• Adrian Loveridge is a hotelier of four decades’ standing.
