‘It happened because a man who has a passion for the industry, who is respected by everyone in tourism, at home and abroad, has gone out of his way to work every day’ Owen Arthur said.
This was part of a speech by the Prime Minister when describing Minister of Tourism, Noel Lynch, last Wednesday during at meeting at Villa Road, St. Michael.
The Prime Minister went on to describe, Noel Lynch ‘as the most outstanding Minister of Tourism, Barbados has ever had’.
Well!
Does the record confirm this?
27 hotels have closed during the 13 years of the BLP administration.
Between 2002 and 2004, some 2,000 jobs were lost in the sector. Down from 14,200 to 12,200 and that’s according to the Ministry of Labour.
In the first nine months of last year alone over 67,000 airline seats were lost.
The stewardship of Minister Lynch over the return of LIAT to a monopoly carrier has decimated Intra Caribbean travel, with all the detrimental economic consequences this has inflicted on the accommodation and ancillary tourism sector across the region.
Only now, is The Minister speaking about ‘a strict zoning regime is coming for condominiums’. 27 closed hotels later.
In their manifesto they are boasting a growth in tourism earnings from $2 billion to $4 billion in five years.
A growth that they have not even been close to achieve even with rampant inflation!
The Prime Minister may be under the illusion. That Noel Lynch is the ‘most outstanding Minister of Tourism’ but I suggest he talks to a red cap, a taxi driver, a hotel room maid, a restaurant waiter or one of the many hotel staff that that have had the working hours reduced during this, the peak winter season.
Ask also one of the 10 passengers that flew in on the much heralded Fort Lauderdale flight yesterday or the hundreds of passengers that have had their flights cancelled in recent weeks.
You only have to compare our performance both in terms of tourism arrivals and earnings with virtually all of our Caribbean neighbours to see exactly how we are doing.
And no rational person could conclude we have the ‘most outstanding Minister of Tourism’.
Adrian Loveridge
13 January 2008
20 Comments
January 13, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Hi Adrian:
You are probably perfectly correct. Tourism is no longer my area of expertise although I was deeply involved in it years ago; therefore I have no terms of reference but I also have no reason to doubt you.
However, as I have said before in my comments: unless the TRUTH can be conveyed to the average man on the street who does not read internet blogs, the only information he/she is likely to make his/her decision upon is the mainstream media.
The party in power are launching a massive campaign to discredit the opposition and they have the money and the purported credibility to do it.
While I will be voting for change and there is nothing more that I would like to see for my homeland, I am a realist.
A few good “men” like us do not have the numbers to influence the popular decision.
I don’t think any of us at this point can really be sure of what the popular decision is at this point but one thing is for certain: disinformation and lofty promises will influence many, that unfortunately my dear friends is the reality.
Only the Good Lord knows for sure the outcome on January 15.
January 13, 2008 at 2:51 pm
passion can be a wonderful attribute but if it is tied
to a huge cranial mass with nothing in it and no common sense it can really be quite dangerous.
Owen has become a snake oil salesman.
It wasn’t that long ago you could find someone down in Bridgetown to sell you colored vials of water to cure all your ills.
January 13, 2008 at 3:26 pm
How much money is spent on Marketing our Tourism product? How much is spent to operate our overseas offices?….. Why are we not over booked and swamped with tourists if we are the best and we suppose to have everything tourist looking for?
Maybe part of the development would be to create snow and ice for the tourist who like ski-ing
January 13, 2008 at 4:44 pm
”A few good “men” like us do not have the numbers to influence the popular decision”
The street word I have heard in the last few days indicates a DLP win, possibly a landslide.
Do you think the man in the street is stupid.
Do you think a man will vote for the ruling party when he is scrunting but a few wealthy men and foreigners are making millions and ‘cutting show’?
Take my word for it, ‘as much as can be’, this election is over.
Unfortunately, the new PM has a mess to clean up….a huge mess, amidst yardfowls, greedy businessmen and so on.
He has his work cut out.
May the Almighty give him strength. And as long as he looks to the Almighty for strength and does not decide to ‘move heaven and earth’ himself, then he shall be strong.
January 13, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Owen said Minister Lynch has a passion for his job and works hard everyday. Minister Lynch has a passion for Golf too. It is said that golf is the only sport that would allow you to know how a person conducts his or her self in real life. Anyone out there that has played with Lynch and has ever thought his scores were a little off, let us know.Here are some examples,finding a ball that was obviously lost. scoring a 5 when it was a 6 and so on. In other words if he teefing in golf, with friends he probably teefing in other areas.
January 13, 2008 at 5:57 pm
It is evident that Barbados needs a change and fast, the island has never been so divided by people that are not sure, health in shambles, roads in shambles, schools in shambles, non existent agriculture yet the richer get richer and the poorer get poorer, when are Barbadians going to wake up and realsie that this country we call home has been sold. A Barbadian can only afford a piece of land if 1. It has been left for them 2. It has been given to them or lastly won it in a bet. So many Barbadians cant live life to the fullest as they spend all their money and life paying for mortar and brick when is the madness going to stop.
I just feel that we as a people have woken up too late
But thats just my feelings and hey! I can still have a say, how much longer I am not sure.
January 13, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Change to what? Giveaways and pork barrel politics. Free land, free houses, free books etc. We black people need to start thinking and analysing. Make conscious decisions on how, when and where we spend our money and stop depending on politicians of all persuasions for hand outs and giveaways…
January 13, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Reality check says “Owen has become a snake oil salesman. ”
I hope the voting public isn’t fooled by his latest escapade.
Strike at Cable and Wireless. Parties negotiating.
In comes SUPER OWING to rescue the workers.
Strike settled.
Doesn’t Barbados have a Ministry of labour?
Oh yeah the Minister of Labour can’t do his job because of diabolical forces which only SUPER OWING can stop.
I just heard the BLP ad about Graeme Hall.
Unbelievebly,the BLP is taking credit for “saving Graeme Hall as a Nature Reserve.”
They should thank BFP and the 7000 who signed a petition to save Graeme Hall from being turned into a concrete jungle.
January 13, 2008 at 7:21 pm
What about LIAT… Barbados pumps nuff of we $$$$$$$$ in that airline…. yet we pay high prices to travel from here to our closer port, grenada, st.lucia, st vincent and TNT. Oh ya… if we have to go further north in the Caribbean… we could go to the USA for the same fare or cheaper on AA or other airlines. Talk about the delays and schedule…. i recall travelling on LIAT flights with 10 people on them….. i was even told that recently a two passenger travel on a LIAT flight into Barbados.
Even some of the other leaders in the region have added their voice to the LIAT saga.
We pumping in money and the BTA offers specials regularly to encourage more passenger into Barbados
I hope the next government ensure that the fares drop so we could travel like the them (the politicians) to a weekend getaway to our neighbours…. we need to ease we stresses too.
VOTE
January 13, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Ask also one of the 10 passengers that flew in on the much heralded Fort Lauderdale flight yesterday or the hundreds of passengers that have had their flights cancelled in recent weeks.
………………………………………………………………………………….
Anyway in the world where an election is being held, visitors usually stay away from that country. This is a fact of life and such occurrence should not be used for political mileage
January 13, 2008 at 9:00 pm
What is the Nation going to do if DLP win!!
Eat crow?
Senior staff busy, busy.busy holding meetings planning their spin on the result.
January 13, 2008 at 10:24 pm
So, Adrian, who are you voting for this Tuesday?
January 13, 2008 at 11:58 pm
Frankology says…”Anyway in the world where an election is being held, visitors usually stay away from that country.”
Rubbish…Tourist only stay away if warned by their respective governments.
Barbados is not a war zone.
January 14, 2008 at 2:07 am
Well I have to compliment OSA, that the man has the nerve to tell people how good poorboy turn richman Lynch is. What a joke! Now I know Owen messing with the country and he feel he can sell Bajans anything.Between OSA and poorboy……. we have seen how manipulation works.OSA like selling off our assets, if poorboy is so good why in this world of globalisation don’t we sell poorboy to the highest bidder and see what market forces will bring us for this valuable piece of merchandise. Without further adieu, I shall open the bidding for poorboy. I bid three (3) cents and I want a drink out of that too, so do I hear any more bids? I did not think so.
Johnnietoobad.
January 14, 2008 at 3:44 am
Is it true about the fight at BLP head quarters
January 14, 2008 at 4:29 am
Vanishing views of the ocean
Web Posted – Sun Dec 09 2007
On the Editorial page of the December 3, 2007 Barbados Advocate, there was a column written by Nicholas Cox about the disappearance of our Windows to the Sea .
Barbados has always been known for its lovely beaches, among other attractions. This past year or two we have noticed lovely houses along the West Coast being sold for condominiums, and one wonders if they all have been sold and how much revenue they are going to bring into the island.
Hotels employ a staff which gives employment to the locals. Condos, when and if sold, will more likely be used as holiday places which will be closed up when not in use, with no revenue coming in and less employment. The worst part of this sudden splurge is that it has taken away all the beauty of our special island and leaves very little entry to the beach and sea for the locals, although our beaches are not private.
So does this mean the locals and others have to ask permission to enter their properties to get to our beaches? One drives along the St. Peter, St. James and Hastings areas (to name a few) and there is no view of the sea , only wooden fences blocking the scenery while the construction goes on. Personally, I think it is greed! I have already heard many repeat, long-staying visitors saying that if we get like Spain and other over-developed countries, spoilt by condos and high rise buildings, they will not return. Apart from the tourist aspect of the problem, how do we know that these high rise buildings are not going to affect our coral stone levels of land (and the coral reefs) with all the drilling and digging going on? Interesting!
Jean Ellison
January 14, 2008 at 5:46 am
What gets me about Owen is that he keeps coming back with this Human Development Index thing as though it was authored by him. Under Sandy we had a better rating.
Anyway he only have a day to really enjoy the White House…He will soon be growing potatoes again in his back yard!
January 14, 2008 at 9:39 am
Another blogger. A Vote for Barbados was kind enough to post 28 pages of Central Bank statistics on BU, and its interesting reading.
During the period of this Government’s rein and the extent of the figures (1994-2005) the following
facts can be extracted:
Average stay has remained at 7 nights.
Annual Hotel room occupancy has fallen from 58% in 1994 to 54% in 2005, despite the loss of 27 hotels.
Hotel bed availability is DOWN.
Hotel Bed occupancy is DOWN.
And in 1994 we welcomed 52,286 Canadian long stay visitors.
That number had fallen to 47,690 by 2005 or a near 9% reduction.
Check out how many Canadians we welcomed in 2007.
Down again, despite a 30 year gigh in the value of the canadian Dollar.
This is not a moral crusade against an individual, but about having the right person shaping our number one industry to the benefit of all!
January 14, 2008 at 12:11 pm
frankology
January 13, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Ask also one of the 10 passengers that flew in on the much heralded Fort Lauderdale flight yesterday or the hundreds of passengers that have had their flights cancelled in recent weeks.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I haven’t flown from Fort Lauderdale to Barbados for a while but on the Barbados to Fort Lauderdale leg, I was put on American Airlines to Miami one weekday back in November, ……. before the elections were called.
Air Jamaica could not guarantee the connection in Jamaica and decided to offer passengers that option.
January 14, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Frankology said,
Anyway in the world where an election is being held, visitors usually stay away from that country. This is a fact of life and such occurrence should not be used for political mileage
________________________________
I am sure that you know that very few tourist book holidays within a 30 day. You would therefore have to show me the cancellations to support your comment above.