Barbados must rethink and upgrade its sporting product if it wants to fully capitalise on the growing value of sports tourism and create wider opportunities for young people, says Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA), Ryan Forde.
Forde told Barbados TODAY on the sidelines of the association’s fourth quarterly general meeting recently, that the island can no longer rely on outdated facilities or limited community-level competition if it wants to develop elite athletes and attract major international events.
“I come from a sporting background and you know, if we’re investing in infrastructure — a new stadium, beach equipment, volleyball, netball, water polo — you’re not only investing to bring people into the island to compete, which brings in revenue,” he said.
Forde stressed that athletes cannot improve if they are “competing on infrastructure that’s not sustainable”, or only playing against the same small pool of local competitors from childhood to senior level. “That’s the first base,” he said, “but we need to have the infrastructure.”
He lauded government for its vision in rolling out new facilities, while pointing out that those investments would make it possible for Barbados to host more regional and international teams, while also giving local athletes exposure to higher-level competition.
“Once that comes into play, you’re allowed to bring in more people into the destination to compete against you… the ones that you don’t typically get to compete with in an island that is just as small as it is,” Forde said.
The BHTA CEO highlighted that sports tourism already brings in “over $120 million per year”, but insisted the broader opportunities for young Barbadians are just as significant.
“The opportunity that comes for a young Barbadian athlete is huge. You have college opportunities, you also have professional or semi-professional opportunities,” Forde explained.
Beyond athletic performance, Forde pointed to the growing ecosystem of careers linked to sport.
“It’s not always about playing the sport. You might go into audio visual or the viral reviews for the sport itself, or the technical training and coaching, or the supply of infrastructure, so there’s a lot of linkages there,” he added.
He argued that if Barbados properly develops its sporting product, strengthens its facilities, and positions the island as a credible venue for international competitions, the economic and social benefits will extend far beyond hotel occupancy.
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