The Minister Obviously Never Heard Of Asking For Payment Up Front From Folks Who May Or May Not Show
$15 Million Dollar Gamble Was At Our Entire Risk – Owen Arthur Government Arranged It So Tourists Could Cancel At Any Time
We at BFP are aware that the Cricket World Cup disaster has been beaten to death, but we feel compelled to counter the continual lies that the government is still feeding Bajans and the world.
Barbados Tourism Minister Noel Lynch and his compatriots proved themselves to be but children playing with the family chequebook. Now they are still crying “We didn’t know. Don’t punish us.”
Only trouble is, thousands of citizens who have never been in business saw it all going wrong a year in advance, but the Owen Arthur government AND David Thompson’s pathetic “opposition” party would not be deterred when all the signs were there.
They turned over our country and our sovereignty to special interests and failed to protect us. They set it up so all the risks would be borne by we the citizens. They set it up so that even when Cricket World Cup was a resounding disaster for the country, the special interests would walk away with fat pockets and no liabilities.
Both Arthur and Thompson Did This
Lies, excuses, pathetic twisting of statistics don’t change the reality and magnitude of the disaster.
No matter how often those incompetent children repeat the lies at press conferences…
Carnival Destiny Venture “A Loss”
GOVERNMENT’S DECISION to contract the mega cruise liner Carnival Destiny for the Cricket World Cup proved to be a financial loss.
But according to Minister of Tourism Noel Lynch, there was nothing that could have been done in foresight to prevent the big-money bust.
In fact, Lynch believes Barbados’ cruise line industry continues to be the guiding light of the Caribbean, as there were 11 cruise liners berthed at the Bridgetown Port when the World Cup Final was held on April 28.
“We managed effectively in the best and worst of times,” Lynch said yesterday at his ministry’s first post-event Press conference regarding the Cricket World Cup, held at the Sherbourne Conference Centre.
According to Lynch, Government suffered losses from contracting Carnival Destiny because most of the people reserved to use the vessel as a hotel were from India and Pakistan, two teams which were unexpectedly dumped from the tournament in the preliminary stages.
“The fact that India and Pakistan were eliminated early did create a few headaches, but the fact is that we stepped up to the crease and batted,” Lynch said. “The way that problem was handled by the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA), the private and the public sector, averted a serious crisis,” the minister concluded.
“We were still portrayed to the world in a positive light, and huge tourism gains, both in the short and long run are still expected.”
According to Lynch, cruise tourism in April alone had seen 97 000 people set foot on Barbados’ shores, inclusive of 11 000 who were accommodated on the 11 ships when Australia played Sri Lanka in the tournament’s final on April 28.
The minister noted that on those 11 liners berthed at the Bridgetown Port, occupancy was at an impressive 80 per cent level.
He revealed the losses derived from contracting Carnival Destiny were because the ship had only 40 per cent occupancy whilst in Barbados.
“Sixty per cent of the people to have been on the boat were from the Indian market, but I have to commend the BTA for attempting to fill those rooms for the remainder of the tournament.
“They should be given credit, and it was worth the effort,” Lynch commented.
He said that within the next five years, the BTA would be attempting to bring at least 1 000 Indians to Barbados every year through charter flights.
“This is one of the fast-growing economies in the world, and there remains tremendous opportunities for Barbados in terms of commerce and e-business since our systems so mirror each other,” the minister concluded. (BA)
… read the original online at The Nation News (link here)
Photo: SEVERAL government and non-governmental officials turned out for yesterdays post-CWC Press conference. Here are chairman of LIAT, Dr Jean Holder; Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism, Senator Rudy Grant; Minister of Tourism Noel Lynch; Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Clyde Mascoll; and Minister of Sport Anthony Wood.
Barbados Free Press 