Business View Caribbean | October 2019

5 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN OCTOBER 2019 OPENING L INES M inister Kerrie Symmonds is pleased with the cruise awards bestowed upon Barbados, but he does not want efforts to improve the tourism destination and product to fade or crawl to a standstill. Barbados recently took the Favorite Cruise Destination award at the 2019 Cruise International’s British Cruise Awards. The ceremony was held at the House of Lords in London. “I am very pleased that Barbados has found itself in winner’s row as a favorite cruise destination according to the 2019 International British Cruise Awards,” the Tourism Minister said. “I want once again to caution that this is not a time to rest on laurels. Though heartened by our achievement, I am conscious that Barbados has only just begun to tap into its tremendous potential as a cruise destination, and there is a long road to travel and many miles to go before we can afford to sleep.” Going forward, the Minister pledged to work harder on behalf on the island. “Over the next few weeks and months, we will be reemphasizing our preparations for the coming winter season and in that regard, much of the emphasis will be placed on certain much needed, but highly achievable desirables, which we must in turn now keep at the top of our minds.” Among them, the Minister stressed work must be on to improve “the cleanliness of our country.” In addition, he urged that Barbadians and the tourism agencies along with his ministry must keep going with “the promotion and prioritization of our culture and craft products, the enhancement of the shopping environment, and the reimagining of our country’s attractions, so as to make the visitor’s experience as authentic and genuinely Barbadian as is possible.” Extending much gratitude to the players that made the milestone a reality, Symmonds stated, “On behalf of a grateful nation and on behalf of the Barbados Tourism Marketing Incorporated (BTMI), I would wish to thank all of our very dedicated Cruise partners in Barbados, without whose effort, hard work, and responsiveness to government’s policy observations and interventions, this level of continued success would not be possible. “I also wish to thank the outstanding UK team because their efforts have been stellar and supportive and they work relentlessly day and night to ensure that the Barbados brand and the Barbados image are constantly top of mind in the United Kingdom market.” NO REST! BARBADOS WINS AWARD, MUST KEEP IMPROVING VISITOR EXPERIENCE