With little in the way of natural resources – as against fellow CARICOM member countries Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Jamaica and Suriname – to ‘shout about’ Barbados has, over the years, done a more than a credible job in combining the attractions of its island-in-the-sea lure with its national proclivity for hospitality to cause it be the ‘pick’ of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member countries where visitor arrivals is concerned. Which is why, over the years, the island has become the favoured territory in the region for the hosting of international events designed to ‘show off’ some of the natural attractions of the region.
Oil and gas may be the jewel in the crown of Trinidad and Tobago, and more recently, in those of Guyana and Suriname; in the instance of Barbados, the island has made its name on the virtues of serenity, tranquility, a usually low crime of crime, this latter virtue being rather less pronounced in Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, the three other high-profile CARICOM member countries. It is Barbados’ ‘island beauty’ and its proclivity for low crime levels which, for the most part, comprise the lure that draws much of the rest of the world to an island whose economy depends, to an overwhelming extent, on income associated with visitor arrivals and with the attendant hospitality which it offers.
Which is why, overwhelmingly, when lots must be ‘drawn’ for choosing locations for the hosting of certain international gathering, Barbados is rarely, if ever, far from the top of the list. Unsurprisingly, is the same with the November 13 – 15 Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference & Operations Summit (CHICOS) which will be held at the Wyndham Grand Barbados. Here it should be noted that the state of readiness of the island to host one of the world’s high-profile tourism gatherings soon after it had been ravaged by Hurricane Beryl, is a tribute to its keen sense of awareness of where its priorities lie. The fact that the island has been entrusted with hosting a world class investment and tourism conference shortly after it had had sections of its tourism infrastructure disrupted by Beryl is a tribute to the global hospitality sector’s acute awareness of the island’s reputation for high standards in the tourism and hospitality sector.
It is not just Barbados’ tourism industry but both its economy and its prized international image that are on trial here. Setting aside the formal proceedings of the forum, hosting the conference affords Barbados the umpteenth opportunity to ‘show off’ its tourism infrastructure to owners and potential investors in the sector and also to secure global coverage from the event that is likely to have a positive effect on visitor arrivals in the period ahead. For Barbados, the hosting of CHICOS 2024 is the equivalent of Guyana hosting a global oil and gas conference, the benefits deriving not just from the burnishing of the image of the host country across the sector as a whole but also from the opportunities the forum creates to establish longer-term relationships with high-profile players in the sector that can help take the host country where it seeks to go.
Here, the Barbados Tourism Minister sees the country’s hosting of the region’s most globally recognized tourism forum as providing the kind of impetus to the country’s hospitality industry that will realize “heightened bookings and increased visibility for local hotels and accommodation providers.” Anchored by the tourism industry, the Barbados economy reportedly grew by 4.4 per cent in 2023.
