Bajan Backlash Against China – BLP Election Strategy Backfires

Nothing Is Free: Especially Money From Communist China

In the wake of a disastrously failed Cricket World Cup, one of the key election strategies settled upon by the BLP “backroom boys” is to push the concept that skilled diplomacy by Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur and his government has resulted in, and will continue to provide, many long term benefits flowing from China to Barbados. Indeed, according to one of our sources, the government has to this day withheld details of many of the side-agreements reached with China during the recent visit by the PM so these deals can be announced closer to the election.

The “Look what I’ve got for you – biscuits and corned beef” elections strategy has been a long-standing hallmark of politics in Barbados by both parties when in power. Normally, the government in power wields an enormously disproportionate ability to make promises and hand out “corned beef” (gifts) to voters, but this time the treasury is empty. The BLP have raped and mismanaged the country so badly that they forgot to leave some of our tax monies in the kitty to bribe us with.

Bajans know that the treasury is bare, so the government is having to resort to a fallback position – an election strategy of offering hope and promises based not upon how the government will spend our money (we know we have none) to more believable external sources of funding.

The recent oil hype is part of the strategy to make us all feel good during the approach to the election and to provide a “believable” external source of funds for the election promises. With all the hype, one would think that the oil money is a sure thing starting to flow next week – instead of a highly speculative venture that at best would not see a significant revenue stream for a decade or more. (See BFP’s Barbados Escalates Oil Lottery Hype In Election Run-up)

Chinese “Assistance” Is Part Of The BLP Election Strategy

The strategy of highlighting all the goodies to come from China was part of that same strategy of showing external funding for election promises – but it has blown up in the government’s face as Barbados citizens already see portions of our economy being overrun by the Communist Chinese juggernaut.

Even if Barbados citizens are willing to totally ignore the human rights abuses of the Chinese Communists, they have already discovered that there is a price to be paid for China’s “gifts”. Bajans are having serious doubts about whether they are willing to pay that bill.

Barbados Contractors Association: “China Killing Regional Construction Industry”

The latest anti-China effort has just been launched by the Barbados Contractors Association over their well-grounded fear that the influx of Chinese construction workers and companies is killing the regional construction industry. No legitimate company can compete with Chinese slave labour. No legitimate employer can compete with workers who live 24/7 at the construction site with no transportation or living expenses, no health or accident benefits and who are willing to live in shipping crates for six months to send some money back home.

No legitimate contractor can compete with Chinese government-subsidized steel of questionable quality, or shipping crates of new tools and equipment that are allowed into the country without inspection and proper duties being paid.

If the Chinese want to fairly bid on projects on a level playing field – the Barbados Contractors Association has no problem. But when the government looks the other way as hundreds of illegal Chinese take jobs from Bajans, we all have a problem.

Owen Arthur’s government has traded away the Barbados construction industry and all those jobs for the short-term election benefit of being able to say “We Gots Corned Beef An Biscuits aComin From China!”

Here is a pointer to a Nation News article about the concerns of the Barbados Contractors Association…

FIGHTBACK

by Carol Martindale

A CARIBBEAN COUNTER-ATTACK on the Chinese construction invasion across the region is about to be launched.

President of the Barbados Contractors Association, Achal Moorjani, one of the pioneers of the plan, said this united front was necessary as it was perceived that the Chinese were out to “kill the regional construction industry”.

“Our aim is not to say that the Chinese can’t work, but they have to bat on the same level playing field. It has to be level,” he added.

Moorjani said it was becoming increasingly difficult to compete with the Chinese, their pittance payments and cheap imports, especially as they continued to chalk up projects to work on.

Chinese in Barbados are working on the Four Seasons Hotel, the multi-level car park in the City, British American Insurance offices, Harrison’s Cave, Foundation School, and the Speightstown Fish Market, among others.

“There is no way we can compete with the cheap labour or imports they bring. They bring cheap labour and materials from China,” Moorjani said, noting that members of the local association had already met with Government to raise issues relating to the heavy Chinese presence on construction sites across Barbados.

… continue reading this article at The Nation News (link here)

Barbados Professional Association Of Engineers Gearing Up Against Owen Arthur’s Chinese Invasion

We received three independent reports that the Barbados Professional Association Of Engineers is also about to enter the fray to demand that the government cease showing favouritism to Chinese corporations. The Association has been circulating a list of Chinese projects, but is having some trouble ensuring that the list is accurate and complete.

No problem, folks! We’ll publish the list and see if our readers can assist. The knowledge of crowds and all that…

Draft List Of Chinese Construction Projects In Barbados *

Car Park Bridgetown – BTII
Four Seasons Resort – Cinnamon Dev 88
Barbados National Bank – Barbados National Bank
British American Insurance – British American Insurance
Harrisons Caves – Govt. of Barbados
Foundation School
Speightstown Fish Market
Scotia Bank Hwy7 & Dayrells Rd

* This draft list is posted to enable BFP readers and those on the list to verify and comment.

Who Really Owns Kensington Oval?

The Legacy Of Cricket World Cup: Debt, Debt and More Debt

‘It was to be the lead event for Barbados and the Caribbean, however, as most of us can certainly attest this was not the case. I will even go as far to say that the event was just short of a disaster’.

These were among the comments made by Chairman, Denis Tull, of the 40 member group in an article carried in today’s Barbados Advocate under the headline “Intimate Hotels another CWC casualty.”

Intimate Hotels has a little less than 50% of all the small hotels on Barbados as members.

The event has left Intimate Hotels with a debt of $390,000 alone from one tour operator, Travel and Tours Anywhere Ltd, which recently went into bankruptcy.

Comments made by Mr Tull, who among other accolades has received a Lifetime Tourism Achievement Award, are difficult to reconcile with other remarks expounded by Minister of Tourism, Noel Lynch, stating that CWC represented ‘Barbados finest hour’ and ‘the best by far’.

Adrian Loveridge
(As published in Caribbean Net News)

You Tube Video above: Barbados Minister Of Tourism admits “Oh Sh*t, We Blew It!” 

We Publish Exclusive Photo Of Cricket World Cup Final Game Ending

Match Officials Slammed By ICC For Cricket World Cup “I Can’t See The #@$! Bat” Final Game

“The World Cup, which had already been dogged by poor crowds, bad publicity, and one-sided cricket, not to mention the lingering shadow of Bob Woolmer’s death in Jamaica, desperately needed a successful final between Australia and Sri Lanka to salvage some respect.

Instead, it got the most farcical finish of all time.” (from CricInfo.com)

We thought that the final game was most appropriate… a fitting end to Cricket World Cup 2007. A worldclass public event managed so badly that not even the Prime Minister would show his face publicly at the grand finale.

If you need more punishment, read “World Cup Officials Slammed By ICC“ at Cricinfo.

Cricket World Cup Caused A Drop In Barbados Tourist Numbers When Compared With Last Year!!!!

Let’s See Here…

If Barbados had not been fool enough to buy into the Cricket World Cup we would have had more tourists on the island from January to May, increased business revenues and would now have half a billion dollars more in the bank.

Lord Have Mercy on the poor Bajan taxpayers!

From The Broad Street Journal…

DOWN FOR THE COUNT: Barbados tourist arrivals between January and May 2007 fall by nearly 2% over same period in 2006

Despite a surge of nearly eleven percent in April, when close to 60,000 longstay visitors came mainly to see the six CWC Super Eight matches and Final, Barbados’ tourist arrivals fell by nearly two percent between January and April over the same period last year.

For those four months last year, approximately 207,500 longstay arrivals were recorded, while for the same period just ended in 2007, the figure appears to be closer to 204,000, according to data from the Barbados Statistical Service added to Minister of Tourism Noel Lynch’s estimate for April.

… continue reading this story at The Broad Street Journal (link here)

Owen Arthur Government Targets Bajan Wallets With 2,500 New Video Lottery Terminals – “A Tax On Stupid People”

My Fellow Barbadians… Have I Got A Deal For You!

Listen up, folks! As your Prime Minister, I can assure you that this is the sweetest deal you’re going to find this side of Nigeria…

INVEST TEN DOLLARS with me, and there will be a 93% chance that you will never see any of that money again!

There will be a 6.7% chance that I will give you back three dollars, and you can kiss seven dollars goodbye.

There will be a one third of one percent chance that I will give you back more than your ten dollars… but don’t forget, eleven dollars is more than ten dollars!

Now, Will The Stupid Folks Please Bring Your Ten Dollars And Line Up In Front Of The Owen Arthur Money Collecting Machine…

Hurry Up… This opportunity will only be around for a limited period of time.*

*Limited period of time is defined as “Until we have all your money, you fool!”

From Casino City Times…

CAGE Awarded Barbados Deal

MARYLAND — (PRESS RELEASE) — Today, CAGE Barbados Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Caribbean CAGE LLC, a division of The RLJ Companies, announced that it has been awarded a long-term management agreement for the installation and management of up to 2500 video lottery terminals (“VLTs”) on Barbados. This management agreement will allow CAGE to operate the connected and linked VLTs that will be installed over a three-year roll out period.

“This long term management agreement is an integral step towards fulfilling our strategy of a significant presence throughout the Caribbean and Latin America,” noted Bob Washington, Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder of Caribbean CAGE LLC.

An official spokesperson from the BCA stated, “the Barbados Cricket Association looks forward to a long and successful relationship with Cage Barbados Inc., in the operation of video lottery games in Barbados, which the BCA hopes will redound to the benefit of both the BCA and its partners.”

“We are pleased to enter into a business relationship with Barbados. Our ability to drive returns is good for Barbados and good for CAGE,” stated Bob Johnson, Chairman of The RLJ Companies.

CAGE currently operates VLTs in the Turks and Caicos Islands and St. Kitts. CAGE, headquartered in Puerto Rico, is well positioned to take advantage of the VLT market in the Caribbean to generate superior returns.

CAGE anticipates beginning operations in Barbados by the 4th quarter of 2007.

… read the article online here.

Barbados Tourism Minister Noel Lynch Just Can’t Help Himself…

Noel Lynch Spins Like A Top

To respond to the front page Daily Nation article headlined ‘The Best by Far!’ by Roy Morris dated 28th May 2007.

‘Stating repeatedly he would not back down from his assessment that CWC represented Barbados finest hour’, Lynch noted that 63,480 long-stay visitors were on the island in April, the highest number ever since the country started recording tourist arrivals’.

‘This figure, he added, represented a 19.6 per cent increase over the previous April, which had itself seen a 13 per cent jump over the year before’.

… from The Nation News The Best By Far! 

What is critically missing from the equation is of course, our long stay arrival visitor performance for the first three critical months of the year.

In it’s economic review for the first quarter of 2007. the Central Bank said ‘that that real tourism value added had declined by approximately 3.8 per cent compared to the same period last year’.

‘The Bank added that ‘preliminary estimates suggested that long stay arrivals contracted by 6 per cent’.

With ‘a total arrival figure for the first three months of the year of around 143,000, down close to 10,000 on the nearly 158,000 long stay arrivals for the same period last year’.

For lets look at the total four month period overall…

Down 10,000 in the first three months and up 19.6 per cent or 12,442 persons for April alone!

So a increase of just 2,442 long stay visitors during the first four months of 2007 when compared with 2006.

Mr Lynch also stated ‘that the island earned an additional US$16.75 million’ in April.

But based on the Minister’s economics, the 10,000 fewer long stay visitors that did not come in the first three months of the year, would have written some US$13.46 million off the April figure!

Therefore a net gain of just US$3.29 million!

It is really quite misleading to the public to describe this tourism performance as ‘The Best by Far’.

Adrian Loveridge
28 May 2007

Note: The main and lead-in titles of this piece were created by BFP for the letter received from Adrian Loveridge.

ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 Act – As Passed By Barbados Government

Who Actually Read The Cricket World Cup Legislation?

Did you ever read the Cricket World Cup legislation as passed by the Parliament of Barbados?

Thought so. Me neither.

So let’s all dig into the legislation and see what we can find, shall we?

Let’s see how our representatives signed away our sovereignty and gave away everything for free – with no guarantees, all profit going to the ICC up front, and all risks and long term liabilities placed upon ordinary Bajans for several generations to come.

READ EVERY WORD

Read it and be appalled at what our elected representatives bought into.

Traitors? Fools? Crooks? I can’t imagine why any sober, sane person would sign something like this.

Here is a copy of the legislation in Adobe PDF format. Let the discussion begin…

barbados-act-world-cup.pdf

Lord’s Test Match Yesterday: Times Laments The Impending Extinction Of West Indies Cricket ( ! )

A well written piece by Times chief sports writer Simon Barnes…

West Indian Tiger in Danger – Please Give Generously

In cricket, perhaps more than any other game, there are times when your patriotism for the nation that bore you is overtaken by patriotism for the greater nation of cricket. It felt like that as I watched England seizing an inexorable control over the first npower Test match at Lord’s. It wasn’t the fact that they gained a decisive advantage; it was that they did so without playing terribly well.

And that seemed to me to be a terribly sad thing. I longed for West Indies to do better: take wickets, get ’em hopping, hit a few people, work up a little fear. Perhaps this longing comes from the idea that the game matters more than the results, that cricket has a beauty, a symmetry and even a moral purpose that other games cannot match. But really, I think it comes from the terrible fragility of the sport of cricket.

… continue reading this article at the Times (link here).

Photo: World’s Oldest Surviving Cricket Bat – 1729

Anonymous Letter Sent To Many People – Raises Questions About The Air India & Destiny Cricket Charters

Adrian Loveridge tells us that David Thompson, MP, Richard Sealy MP, Denis Kellman MP, Austin Husbands, and journalist David Ellis are co-recipients of an anonymous letter that recently arrived at Adrian’s office.

Here is Adrian’s story…

I today, received via mail an unsigned letter raising a number of concerns regarding primarily, the Barbados Tourism Authority and their spending in relation to the recent hosting of the CWC.

Among the questions were:

1) What was the expense to the taxpayers of Barbados for this charter out of India?
2) What was the role of the Director of Cruise Tourism that requested her to travel to India three times?
3) How many passengers eventually travelled to Barbados, and took cabins on the (Carnival) Destiny?
4) How many ICC tickets were purchased by the BTA to give away and at what cost?
5) How many certified travel agents and certified journalists from India did the BTA pay to travel to Barbados?
6) To sum it up, how many people in all did the BTA pay for?

The three page letter goes on to make a number of serious allegations and I sincerely hope the writer will send the full text to Barbados Free Press, even if it is sent anonymously to allow the Chairman of the Barbados Tourism Authority to respond.

According to the letter a copy was also sent to the following people: David Thompson, MP, Richard Sealy MP, Denis Kellman MP, Austin Husbands, David Ellis and myself.

Adrian Loveridge

Courtesy …

Hey … unlike the people of Bim and the CWC, at least these fans were given the option to decline the rectal exam for their free tickets …

Odd Baseball Promotion: Free Tickets For Fans Who Receive a Rectal Exam At The Stadium

Want free baseball tickets? All you had to do last night was show up at Miller Park, home to the Milwaukee Brewers, and let a doctor check your prostate…

Article here

Prime Minister Owen Arthur On Cricket World Cup – ‘The Only Thing We Will Get…’

‘The Only Thing We Will Get’

This remarkable statement was made by the Right Hon Owen Arthur at a political meeting last night and carried on the StarCom Network News at 7.30am this morning.

He was referring to the Kensington Oval gate receipts from the recently hosted CWC matches on Barbados.

But what about Governments share (taxes and VAT) from spending by the ’97,000’ cruise ship passengers ‘that set foot on Barbados shores’ in April?

The $12 million to $15 million spent with the local vendors and merchants that Vancourt Rouse referred to?

And the ‘record breaking April’ for our hotels and tourism partners that the Minister of Tourism, Noel Lynch bragged about at the recently media conference at Sherbourne Conference Centre?

To quote his words ‘This April is also turning out to be as if we have done 13,000 more than we do in an average April for the last five years’.

And let’s not forget the much vaunted legacy benefit?

So they got it all wrong, and the Barbadian Taxpayer can only hope the Governments share of the ticket sales will be enough to cover the massive hosting costs!

Adrian Loveridge
7 May 2007

Chris de Caires Says Finances Of Cricket World Cup Barbados Are None Of Your Damn Business

LOC: CWC Figures Within 3 Months

THE TRUE FINANCIAL PICTURE of World Cup Barbados should be known within the next three months.

Whether it will become known to the public, however, is not certain. At a Press conference held by the Local Organising Committee (LOC) yesterday at Kensington Oval, chairman Chris de Caires stated:

“I expect we will be in a position over the next three months to have most of the financial information available and finalised, and at the end of that time, we would then have to settle up all arrangements with the shareholders.”

However, when asked if this information would be made public, de Caires said he was “not sure”.

The question was also raised about whether the LOC had any concerns about hiring one of its own board members as an employee.

Board member Allyson Leacock was hired as an executive consultant to produce the entertainment package for the closing ceremony. de Caires said that it was not a matter the LOC was concerned about

… from The Nation News (link here)

And Nevermind About That Conflict Of Interest Either!

Of course De Caires is not concerned about Conflicts of Interest. He’s just following the Prime Minister’s lead in giving preferential treatment to his current wife when she was a government employee.

After a while, these birds can’t even distinguish what is ethical and what is not.

Barbados Opposition Leader Asks – $150 Million Tax Dollars Later… Who Owns Kensington Oval?

“Interesting also, (Minister of State Clyde Mascoll) must tell us who actually owns the redeveloped Kensington Oval. I do not want to believe what I am hearing about Kensington, $150 million later, not belonging to all Barbadian taxpayers.”

…Opposition DLP Leader David Thompson in a May 6, 2007 media release about Cricket World Cup

We Don’t Own The Highway Flyovers, We Don’t Own The New Prison… But We Sure Pay For Everything!

Opposition Leader David Thompson asks some excellent questions in his recent press release about Cricket World Cup – questions that will be met with silence from the government.

But I didn’t know about Kensington Oval. How can we spend $150 million tax dollars and NOT still own it?

Oh yeah, I forgot… Owen Arthur’s strategy for filling his own pockets involves selling off our children’s futures.

Well, Mr. Prime Minister?

Do we still own Kensington Oval or not?

The Nation News: Above Our Heads

World Abuzz With Story Of Machine-Gun Toting Barbados Police Abusing Cricket Captain

“MELBOURNE, May 6: If one thought the World Cup final fiasco was the last in the string of unpleasant incidents at the cricket’s premier event in the Caribbean, reports say Australian players were at the risk of being arrested by Barbadian police when they were celebrating their triumph.

According to Australian daily The Age, an agitated local police officer allegedly “shouldered” captain Ricky Ponting when he asked for at least two minutes to sing their victory song at the centre wicket after their chaotic 53-run win over Sri Lanka in a rain-marred match…” (The Statesman, India)

“The Sun-Herald understands the players were on the centre wicket when local police, two of whom were armed with machine-guns, ordered them from the playing field.

The officer in charge, whom witnesses described as overly aggressive and forceful, was not prepared to listen when Ponting asked that his team be left for two minutes to sing the song. He demanded the team and its support staff leave the ground immediately…” (Sun-Herald, Australia)

Many Papers Around The World Are Carrying This Story

Here are a few of the many (dozens) of stories that a Google search will reveal… 

Ponting Manhandled By Police On Final Night (Daily Times, Pakistan)

Australian Captain Ricky Ponting Man-Handled By Barbados Police On World Cup Final Night (Cricket World Cup Latest)

When Aussie Song Struck A Wrong Note (The Statesman, India)

Armed Police Ruin Cup Celebrations For Aussies (Sydney Morning Herald, Australia)

When Cops Played Spoilsport (Deccan Herald, India)

Armed Police Ruin Celebrations For Aussies (Brisbane Times, Australia)

Cup Song Ends On A Final Sour Note (The Age, Australia)

Barbados Tourism Minister’s Lies, Lies and More Lies

It seems like the Minister of Tourism cannot keep away from issuing dubious figures!

Sunday Sun 6th May 2007

‘inclusive of the 11,000 who were accommodated on the 11 ships when Australia played Sri Lanka in the tournament’s final on April 28th’.

The Barbados Advocate 6th May 2007

‘In terms of the floating hotels, on the day of the final we had 11 cruise ships in Barbados that accounted for just over 14,000 visitors. Every cruise ship except the one that was guaranteed by the Barbados Tourism Authority had occupancies upwards of 80 per cent’ he (Minister of Tourism) noted.

Let’s list the ships (or yachts) that were actually berthed on either 27th or 28th or both according to the Bridgetown Port Inc. I have started with the small ships showing their passenger capacity in brackets ( )

1. Windjammer Legacy (244)

2. Polynesia (244)

3. Mandalay (144)

4. Yankee Clipper (128)

5. Pacific Explorer (100)

6. Yorktown Clipper (138)

Now the larger ships:

7. Coral (Louis Cruise Line) (676)

8. Topaz (1050) described as ‘maybe one of the oldest cruise vessels in regular operation- built 1956)

9. Carnival Destiny (2,642)

10. MSC Lirica (1,560)

11. Norwegian Crown (1,104)

12. Galaxy (1,890)

13. Maasdam (1,258)

14. Norwegian Dawn (2,224)

The Minister went on to state ‘that on those 11 liners berthed at the Bridgetown Port, occupancy was an impressive 80 per cent level’.

Well the total capacity on the 13 ships/yachts excluding the Carnival Destiny is in fact only 10,760 passengers, so 80 per cent ‘occupancy’ would mean 8,608 people.

The Minister ‘revealed the losses derived from contracting Carnival Destiny were because the ship had only 40 per cent occupancy whilst in Barbados’.

So add 40 per cent of the 2,642 Carnival Destiny capacity which is 1,056 passengers to the accumulated total of 8,608 and you get a grand total of 9,664 and not the 11,000 quoted by the Minister.

So, 14 ships/yachts instead of 11 and 9,664 passengers instead of 11,000 or 14,000!

Adrian Loveridge
6 May 2007

(Note: The title of this piece was provided by BFP editor Robert. Everything else is unedited.)

The Disaster That Will Not Die – Noel Lynch Admits Carnival Destiny Was At 40% Occupancy And A Financial Loss

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.

‘CWC R.I.P. – Thanks to the games, Barbados’ long stay arrivals in first quarter fall to lowest level in three years’

Despite the great expectations of higher tourist arrivals due to Barbados’ role in hosting the just-concluded Cricket World Cup, long-stay and cruise ship passenger arrivals reverted to pre-2004 levels, an analysis of data from the Central bank of Barbados shows…… from the Broad Street Journal

This story carried in the Broad Street Journal online quoting the Central Bank ‘preliminary estimates suggest that long stay arrivals contracted by 6 per cent’.

Based on average stay, that’s a loss of over 70,000 room nights during the first three months of 2007.

The BSJ article and Central Bank comments only confirm what some tourism industry watchers have been stating all along.

The widely misleading projected figures for both long stay and cruise ship arrivals have been proven to be entirely speculative.

Adrian Loveridge
3 May 2007