Gay Nagle Myers
Lisa Cummins, minister of tourism and international transport for Barbados, was appointed to that post on July 23, and she didn't take long to outline her vision of Barbados tourism.
"Prior to last February, visitors numbers were rising, jobs were increasing and new market expansion was underway," Cummins said during a recent CTO Zoom session. "My, how things changed have changed," she added.
Cummins' challenge, as she saw it, was to position Barbados competitively in the Covid era.
"We looked at what our tourism product was pre-Covid and asked what needed refreshing, what our markets are and where we have been the strongest," she said.
The major shift to online and e-commerce in Barbados' retail sector following the island shutdown and border closure eliminated foot traffic, disrupted shopping patterns and caused loss of income for locals across the board, Cummins said. And with the border closed, it was additionally difficult for those whose income depends on tourism, including island tour operators, hotel workers and taxi drivers.
Lisa Cummins
"We're training hospitality and tourism workers now with new skills that incorporate the Covid protocols, and we're investing in renewable energy programs because investments in tourism trigger the wider economy," she said.
Testing and tourism challenges
When the border reopened on July 12 to international travelers, Cummins acknowledged there were initial challenges at first with the testing, the entry requirements and the required quarantine for those displaying symptoms.
"It's much smoother now," she said. "The testing at the airport upon arrival has served us well on top of the required Covid test in the U.S. prior to arrival, and we've had no cases of community spread."
Through August, Barbados had recorded 189 positive cases since March and seven deaths. It has completed more than 21,000 tests.
Hotels and villas are reporting some bookings from the luxury sector for late fall and winter, "and we're hopeful that those numbers will increase," Cummins said.
Airlift from the East Coast is another challenge right now, but as demand grows, Cummins is confident that flight frequencies will increase "and we will return to a level of near normalcy.
Currently, U.S. carriers serving Barbados include JetBlue from JFK, Newark, Boston and Fort Lauderdale and American from Charlotte. Service from Miami starts Oct. 8.
Catering to remote workers and long-term visitors
Barbados was the first destination out of the gate with its staycation program called Welcome Stamp. It launched in July and offers remote workers an opportunity to transport their home office and live like a Bajan for up to a year.
"This program has generated a lot of interest, and we're seeing a number of applications coming in from families and companies," Cummins said. "There's been active engagement on social media too surrounding this program, and other destinations now are offering similar programs."
The resumption of cruising, when it happens, will be "very important" for the tourism industry to boost revenues, drive the economy and once again provide jobs for hundreds of locals.