“There are not many things in a small country that we can control, or that we can determine. We cannot determine, for example, the price of oil. We cannot determine whether or not there’s going to be peace in the Middle East, or whether there’s going to be a war in Afghanistan or not. We cannot determine whether terrorists will or will not strike in any part of the world.
There are certain things beyond our control as a small developing country.
So what we have to focus on are those things that we can control; those things that allow us to make our mark and to let people know who we are.”
… Acting PM Freundel Stuart in the Barbados Advocate article Acting Prime Minister: Don’t mistake good service for servitude
Times are going to get more difficult. You haven’t seen anything yet…
At this moment, the business world in Barbados IS going to Hell – especially tourism that is the foundation of our economy. Say what you will about “diversification”, that’s fine for 15 years down the road. Right now we have tourism and tourism and tourism as our top three reasons why we all eat every day.
Remember how Owen and Mia announced we were going to be “The biotechnology capital of the Western hemisphere”??? Then it was offshore call centres that were going to save us. Then energy from cane leavings. Yup, we used to manufacture chips for IBM too… remember?
But we always come back to tourism because it is, and will remain, our foundation.
So we better do it right. We better smile and be friendly and sincerely welcome every tourist to this island. Each of us seeing a tourist off a ship or a long stay visitor must train ourselves to think “I am happy to see visitors because no matter what I do to live and survive, it somehow relates to tourism.”
Do you install toilets for a living? Take away all the tourists and see how many toilets you install next month. Tourism is that basic and that important to each one of us.
Freundel makes his point that service is not servitude. He states the obvious because, unfortunately, many of our brothers and sisters have the wrong idea. The acting PM is trying to adjust those attitudes because he knows that many competing destinations have the same sun, sand, rum and water as we do. We have to keep those tourists coming back, and the only way to do that is for each of us – no matter our job – to make folks feel genuinely welcome and appreciated in Barbados.
Wise words from Freundel Stuart.
Barbados Free Press 
” – especially tourism that is the foundation of our economy.”
And what have we been saying now for years and maybe even decades??
That if we continue to treat tourisses rough
and rob and rape dem
that eventually it would impact us?
And our jokey law enforcement does little.
……………………………..
I heard a story yesterday that plays right into this:
Seems there is a house on the beach side of the road, opposite where Vista cinema used to be.
Said house is regularly rented out to tourists who come to stay for a week or two.
Seems it IS ROUTINE that people arrive at the house, fresh from the airport, put down their bags and settle in for an hour or so,
then secure their house for the short walk to Big B Supermarket just up the road
to get supplies, bread, butter cheese etc. for their stay.
By the time they get back, house done brek-in and camera and other valuables GONE.
This has happened to this house regularly.
Now you mean to tell me that no-one on this island can’t figure out that local bad boys ‘watching’ de house?
And no-one can’t set a trap?
to stop this foolishness?
Are we THAT incapable? – Yes we are!
_______________________
So. As soon as yuh reach, yuh get rip-off! Sweeet.
Well helloo… there goes the quality of my vacation from the very beginning!!
What stories shall I be spinning when I get home to the UK or the US?
We SO need some serious law enforcement on this island.
We need to import a white boy Commissioner of Police -from New Zealand..or Canada.
Do like Trinidad trying to do…
get some upper level people of REAL quality
who are entirely unknown to any of the posers on the island
to hand down some real orders
Duh! What a profound statement Stuartie! Uh mean, Stuart……..the whole uh Barbados already know that we cahn determine the price uh oil. They also know dat we cahn bring about peace in the middle east. All of dat is just padding, cause you in got none much to say that intelligent?
We Want…
I rather doubt that the admittedly-padded speech was aimed at us intelligentsia in here. *wink*
We are the minority when it comes to voting in anyone.
The padded speech is an obvious play to the gallery of marginally-educated Bajans who think We Are The World
mainly because we look out across the sea, and see no other land mass, thus proving to them that indeed We Are The World.
Give Mr.Stuart a break.
He may yet be our PM of the future.
This guy always speak words of wisdom witrhout him now the DLP is a DEAD party that should be relegated to realms of history..
If these were politically astute they would work on elevating him and groom Chris as Owen did to allow for continuity in the party and not strife. They will be another political war in that party if the ligitimate Deputy is pushed aside for a politcal neophyte. If they are smart they would put Freundel Stuart in St. John instead of what Heartly Henry has been trying to do and give bajans some confidence in them in order to fight the new Owwen Arthur machinery..
The new Owen Arthur machinery should be much like the old Owen Arthur machinery.
Maybe a new coat of paint,yes
and without Mia to help, but otherwise ..same ole same ole