Barbados’ tourism is betting on value-added experiences rather than price cuts to attract visitors in the current climate of global inflation, industry leaders said Thursday, as competition intensifies ahead of the winter season.
Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association’s (BHTA) Chairman Javon Griffith told journalists at a quarterly media briefing that hotels and other providers would need to be strategic if they were to hold their ground against rival destinations during the coming winter season.
“From our members’ point of view, the easiest way to tackle the inflation issue is by providing more value for prospective travellers. Where travellers see value, they will book,” Griffith said.
He explained that this meant offering attractive add-ons such as free breakfast, food and beverage credits, catamaran cruises or tickets to popular attractions.
“Where you add value, you will get persons booking and it works across markets – Canada, the UK and the US. The strategy of added value works,” he sasid.
Griffith noted that between December 22 and January 5 – traditionally peak travel dates – demand would remain high regardless. However, outside of this festive period Barbados would need to fight harder for business against destinations such as Antigua, Mexico and Jamaica.
He said: “I think that the appeal of our tourism product, the friendliness of our people, and the high level of repeat clientele that we’ve always enjoyed will continue to bode well for Barbados. I certainly am eagerly awaiting the tourism arrivals for the month of July, because I can noticeably see it everywhere that we go,” noting that July could possibly record the biggest increase in tourist arrivals of any month this year.
“But we will wait to see if that pans out to be true.”
BHTA Chief Executive Officer Ryan Forde added that Barbados’ greatest advantage in a competitive and inflationary environment lay in the depth and diversity of its offering, from beaches and eco-adventures to dining and cultural experiences.
“We’re a very small destination and we’re not going to put our hand out and say we have the number one beaches in the entire world. But what other countries can’t do is say that they don’t have access to some of the best beaches in the world all around the island,” Forde said.
He stressed that Barbados caters to a wide range of visitor interests.
“If you’re a surfer, you can go down the East Coast or the South. If you want to see dolphin and whale watches in the first quarter of the year, you can go North. If you want to go scuba diving, you can go South or West. If you want to relax, the same thing. And that’s just on the beach side,” he said.
Beyond the coastline, Forde highlighted the island’s dining variety – from rum shops to fine dining – and its growing eco-tourism product, pointing to hikes, Harrison’s Cave, Coco Hill and the reopening of Graeme Hall Sanctuary.
“During COVID-19, we were probably the hiking destination in the Caribbean. Even our own locals who never left the West Coast or the South all of a sudden knew what hiking was, and that shows the diversity of options we can market.”
He also underlined Barbados’ airlift advantages, with daily flights from North America and the UK, renewed European services and growing links with Latin America through Copa Airlines.
“On the product side, our members will add value, but on the marketing side, our partners at the BTMI can speak to the world of options that we have here in Barbados. We don’t cling to only having one main thing. We have a little bit of everything,” Forde said, stressing that the island is well placed to maintain its competitive edge despite global inflationary pressures.
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