Tourism consultant Dr. Kerry Hall has identified a lack of implementation as one of the main issues holding back the truly sustainable development of Barbados’ tourism industry over the years.
She said as the island emerged from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the tourism industry takes the lead in the economic recovery process, there will have to be a major overhaul of how things are done.
Hall told Today’s BUSINESS that Barbados could not afford to return “to old ways”, but will need to “build back better and do tourism differently” in order to remain competitive.
“This means that we need to devise a well-conceived, actionable plan on the way forward for tourism – highlighting the priority areas that need to be implemented in the short to medium-term,” said Hall.
“Coming out of the nightmare we have endured for the last two years, we cannot simply go back to ‘business as usual. The world has changed, tourism has changed, the tourist has changed and we too have to make the necessary pivot, if we seek to remain relevant and competitive as a tourist destination,” she warned.
Hall said the plan that was needed should entail “resetting the tourism industry, reassessing our priorities and reevaluating the role we want to see tourism play in Barbados’ development”.
“We need to identify and reinforce what we are doing right, because, over the years, we have been doing a lot right, and make the necessary adjustments for improvement and transformation,” she added.
She said it will require a participatory approach that involved the public and private sectors, non-governmental organisations, community-based groups, academia, and civil society, “where an inspiring vision for tourism is crafted, priorities are set and clear economic, social and environmental goals are created”.
At the same time, the former Director of Tourism Development in the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport said there continued to be too many delays in a number of tourism-related projects that should help drive the continued build-out of the sector.
Though saying she was unaware of the reasons behind the delays in major projects, especially those planned for the Bridgetown area, Hall said: “What I do know for sure is that Barbados needs new tourism investments, particularly green investments, particularly now in a post COVID world where we need to urgently reimagine and refresh our tourism industry.”
“Whatever obstacles that exist to pre-empt this process need to be addressed and rectified in order to unleash much-needed investment on the island. It was recently announced that several of these stalled projects, some shrouded in controversy with respect to community protests, will commence in the next few months, so we will continue to watch this space to see if this occurs,” she said.
“However, in my opinion, what has been holding us back in general over the years is the issue of implementation. We have said this over and over that there seems to be an implementation deficit disorder that continually keeps us back from achieving our nation’s goals and objectives on a consistent and timely basis,” she added.
Hall, who has written several policy papers on ways to develop the industry, said there was a Tourism Master Plan in existence that was written approximately a decade ago but “quickly became another shelf study”.
Noting that this study contained “a lot of progressive projects and initiatives”, she said hardly anything has been implemented since it was completed, but suggested that rather than trying to “reinvent the wheel”, this plan could be dusted off and tweaks made where necessary and the relevant projects are implemented.
“The focus has to be on conducting the right type of research to ensure that we are developing the right type of product and services that are aligned with current global trends and the demands and expectations of the modern-day traveler and then moving swiftly to the implementation stage,” she noted.
“As we enter this next phase of Barbados’ tourism development, there must be a high level of critical thinking and practical execution employed to successfully operate in this new world order of global tourism. This will be the paradigm shift in thinking required for the Barbados tourism industry to survive and prosper in the new normal,” Hall asserted.
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