More unemployment coming to Barbados hotel and tourism sector

“Government will eventually have to decide what it wants – Tax the industry out of existence or put in place the reforms discussed over decades that clearly have made a significant difference for a solitary player.

Or, apply the reforms uniformly to alleviate the current national imbalance.”

Hotel layoffs the natural result of Government failure to keep promises

Adrian Loveridge – tourism expert, hotel owner

It is now a full six months since companies trading under the Sandals Resorts brand were granted unilateral extraordinary concessions never before seen in the long history of our tourism industry. Despite repeated assurances given to the tourism sector, once again implementation is sadly lacking and as we enter the long eight summer months the industry is left floundering to second guess pricing and marketing strategies that will help it survive yet another year.

Criticism is leveled again at some hoteliers for not passively submitting to the prices dictated by tour operators, which ultimately has led to further airlift losses from a market that is especially attractive in terms of average duration of stay. But pray tell me, how can any Government official expect a single accommodation provider to agree fixed contract rates up to eighteen months ahead of arrival date when they have no overall idea on what those rates are based on?

It really has to reflect the height of lunacy when the remarks are uttered by someone who holds the ultimate power together with his cabinet colleagues to return the industry to viability. Until this is done the chance of competing with many other Caribbean destinations at the same level remains only a distant dream.

Surely by now our policymakers understand the basics of how the travel business is structured and the timing required to put programmes in place.

Chinese government continues persecution of Christians, Barbados continues begging for Chinese handouts

April 28, 2014 – Chinese government destroys 6-year old Sanjiang Church. Fifty percent of China’s slaves are religious prisoners.

Trading Bajan silence on Christian persecution for cash

Remind me… What was that verse about the ‘love of money’ ?

We Bajans are so selective in our outrage. Worse than Americans really – for if the Americans ban products from Cuba while still doing business with China, the largest single human rights violator in the world, at least the US Government criticizes China’s government for slave camps and other violations of human rights, even as the US continues to do business.

Bajans, however, remain silent about China’s ongoing human rights violations.

How can it be that Barbados – a country founded upon slavery, whips, rape, kidnapping and all manner of human misery – remains silent about China, a country that still maintains the largest slave camp system in the world? How can our government say nothing about the Chinese government kidnapping pregnant women and forcing abortions as government officials hold down screaming mothers? How can we say nothing about China destroying hundreds of Christian churches and imprisoning millions because of their religious beliefs?

The answer is this: The Chinese government purchases Bajan silence in exchange for gifts of cash, travel and material goods. It is in the economic interests of our Government and of certain businesses and individual Bajans to forget about China’s slave camps, religious persecution, forced abortion and infanticide.

And so we remain silent, and even embrace Barbados China friendship.

Further Reading

Telegraph: China accused of anti-Christian campaign as church demolition begins

Telegraph: Christians form human shield around church in China

Daily Mail: Woman finds letter from Chinese slave

NY Times: China’s forced labor