Tourism Week to give industry workers training opportunties

Barbados will celebrate Tourism Week from Sunday, September 23, to Saturday, September 29.

Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Barbados Tourism Product Authority (BTPA), Marsha Alleyne, made the announcement during a brief launch held last Wednesday at the Barbados Entertainment Complex, Warrens, St Michael.

Alleyne said Tourism Week was moved from December to September to better “celebrate tourism workers and to shine a spotlight on the industry”.

Describing this as a strategic decision, she explained: “September 27 is celebrated internationally as World Tourism Day. Consequently, we are able to celebrate with partners all around the world during this period. Secondly, this move has allowed us to provide opportunities for greater participation for our tourism workers, who are often unavailable during the month of December, which is the commencement of the winter and tourist season.”

To date, the BTPA has seen an increase in the number of tourism related agencies registering to participate in activities this year.

The Acting CEO revealed that the theme for 2018 was Tourism and the Digital Transformation. She noted that digital advances were not only transforming the way people communicate and inform themselves, but also the way business was being done.

She added that tourism stakeholders can encourage the use of technology to foster innovation within the industry, which could lead to a greater level of economic stability while transforming products and behaviours. 

Tourism Week 2018 will begin with a church service on Sunday, September 23, at The St John the Baptist Church. 

The BTPA will host the second Tourism Career Showcase at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre on World Tourism Day – Thursday, September 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tourism stakeholders will highlight a wide range of careers available within the sector.

The week will culminate with a Tourism Parade on Saturday, September 29, in Bridgetown, beginning at 10 a.m.  (BGIS)