Barbados tourism performance worst of 25 Caribbean Tourism Organisation members

How is the Rihanna tourism campaign going? Not well at all.

Adrian Loveridge, small hotel owner – now selling!

When you read such emotive statements as ‘In two months we would have reached the enviable target of over one billion earned impressions on our digital properties supporting brand Barbados’  you perhaps cannot fail to be left in a condition of awestruck wonder.

But then, reflecting on the words, what does this actually mean and how does it impact on our current tourism performance?

It’s quickly realised that while the less informed may get blown away with the flowery phraseology, certainly in the last seventeen consecutive months it has not had any positive effective on driving increased long stay visitor arrivals.

We are also now in the third year of the quoted multi-million marketing arrangement with superstar Rihanna and ten months since her long delayed campaign video has been aired. When I last checked YouTube, it had received over 450,000 views. On reflection, at least the inclusion of a ‘call to action’ or proven method of monitoring the level of booked holiday conversion ratio, would have demonstrated any cost-effectiveness.

Surely, by now, we should have started to see some sort of return on ‘our’ investment.

Other promotions like the $11 million Barbados Island Inclusive initiative have clearly not made up for the dramatic decline. This now stands at over 61,100 ‘lost’ long stay visitors from April 2012 until August 2013.

September tourism figures this year, have yet to be disclosed, but indications point to the continuation of a dismal performance.

Yes! we know that ongoing national tourism policy direction is largely led by Government agencies, but if the same scenario was being experienced by a private sector company or corporation, how much longer could it afford to go on losing market share, month after month?

While those in control of directing our tourism industry continue to function in a flagrant state of denial, it is very difficult to know, if this persists, what more can be done to address the crisis.

The facts speak for themselves. In 2012, of the 25 reporting Caribbean Tourism Organisation members, 19 reported positive stop-over growth.

4 recorded a fall of 1.8 per cent or less and only one, Grenada, approached anything like the 5.5 per cent fall experienced by Barbados. Simply put, of the 25 countries submitting their arrival data, Barbados had the worse performance.

Yet right up until a few days ago, the media is quoting excuses like ‘some destinations may argue have seen growth, but usually they are emerging destinations which results will reflect, but they are not a mature destination such as Barbados’.

This continued facade of delusion must concern us all; and the longer we go on denying there is a problem, the path to recovery becomes more arduous and prolonged.

After all, what other practical choice do we currently have?

Barbadian tourism marketing prowess used to be the envy of most of our regional neighbours.

Nowadays, ‘we’ have almost become the laughing stock in the Caribbean, when plan after plan are proclaimed publicly, then months and sometimes years later, the majority fail to materialise in reality.

Adrian Loveridge

As Rihanna self-destructs, Bajan jazz singer CiCi says she’s always done her best to portray Barbados positively

“I love my country”

I don’t mind being an official Ambassador for Barbados. I’ve been doing it for the last 8 years in Canada and for 20 years worldwide. I love my country and at every opportunity I let people know it. When I was asked to sing the Canadian Anthem at the immigration awards Gala in Canada I thought it was one of the Greatest honours for Barbados and for me as Bim’s ‘First Lady of Jazz.’

It is the little entertainers like myself who have people from 10 years and more still coming or contacting them, and asking about our island and what’s happening with it.

The Barbados Tourism Authority seems to be out of touch with what tourists really want in Barbados. Canadians wonder why there is no advertising to encourage them to come to Barbados. Relying upon one person (Rihanna) to bring people to Barbados just doesn’t work especially when they arrive and discover that Rihanna is not representative of Bajan entertainment and culture. Tourists want to see a culture that they cannot see at home. They want to see real Bajan culture, and music and dancing that they don’t see at home.

Rihanna is not ‘Bajan’ culture. She’s done well for herself, but tourists don’t want Rihanna’s half-naked dance numbers: they want limbo and other iconic Bajan and Caribbean culture. As Rihanna’s behaviour gets progressively worse, we should be asking how this benefits our tourism.

The BTA is so wrong with the Rihanna tourism campaign!

CiCi

CiCi’s Website: Barbados’ first lady of jazz!

Why Barbados Tourism Authority’s choice of Rihanna as a marketing strategy failed to yield results

The Great British Holiday Report sends another message to our Barbados Tourism Authority…

Adrian Loveridge, small hotel owner – now selling!

Perhaps the decades of using tiny budgets to generate ‘big picture’ results  has made it almost a prerequisite to research as many marketing options as possible, hopefully increasing the probability of success.

Last month, Teletext Holidays commissioned an independent market research company,  Opinion Matters, to conduct a survey of 1,775 UK adults,for in their words ‘uncover British Attitudes to booking holidays’. The Great British Holiday Report concluded what many tourism professionals perhaps had already gleaned over the last few years of challenging operation, but it’s worth repeating some of the findings if we are going to fully understand one of our main markets.

You can download your own PDF version of the report here: The Great British Holiday Report

Without wanting to copy, parrot fashion, large parts of the report I think its important to put the findings in context…

‘Getting away from it all for a week or two is the highlight of the year for many Britons, which is why we put so much time and effort into choosing the perfect holiday’.  

However, the way holidays are booked and planned has changed in recent years.

‘What’s more, as a result of the economic downturn, Britons have become more accustomed to seeking out the best deals’.

‘Many Britons now book within weeks of their departure date: 23 per cent within two months of travel and more than two thirds (67 per cent) within six months of departure’.

But even those conclusions have to be further broken down. Men are more inclined to book last-minute, while women are almost twice as likely to book more than a year in advance.

TMZ: “Rihanna turning her Instagram account into a porn feed” – Barbados Tourism Authority awaits the new holiday arrivals!

“Another pillar of the strategy was the creation of a global brand for Barbados, using modern technology. Getting Rihanna to endorse this brand, via the visitbarbados.org website saw an increase from 2,000 to 68,000 hits per week. This association with Rihanna is also expected to take the Barbados brand into 19 million homes via social media like Facebook and Instagram.“

Barbados Tourism Minister Richard Sealy on the DLP website

Rihanna attacked on London street, bottle thrown, knee cut in fall

Attacker shouted something about Chris Brown

Rihanna was not seriously injured in a fall caused when a madman attacked her as she was leaving a London club. The man threw a full drink bottle at Rihanna after shouting something about Chris Brown. Rihanna fell trying to avoid the projectile (which by some reports did not strike her) and had to go to hospital to be treated and then released.

The attacker was not apprehended, which is a little surprising.

Further Reading

DNA India: Rihanna injured by fan

Hollywood Gossip: Rihanna injured in bottle attack!

Yahoo UK: Rihanna hit after crazed fan chucks bottle at her, slices open her leg

Photo courtesy of The Examiner: Rihanna Injured

Rihanna’s Christmas message to the world

“It is most important to be happy, eliminate negativity around you this holiday season…2013 is way too futuristic for the same weak shit.”

Rihanna

But Rihanna’s real heart and Christmas message might be found at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital where the Clara Braithwaite Center Oncology and Nuclear Medicine was christened in memory of Rihanna’s grandmother with RiRi’s cheque for $1.75 million dollars.

BBC News: Rihanna donates $1.75 million to hospital

Ian Bourne: Oprah’s Rihanna interview “PR fluff, a travesty”

As staged as any Broadway production

For what it’s worth, we agree 100% with The Bajan Reporter. Oprah was once a serious journalist who broke important stories. She was once a skilled interviewer who was unafraid to ask ‘difficult’ questions.

It looks like those days are long gone, and gone forever…

“Where did Oprah fall down? Many areas, where to start? Since Oprah herself pointed how TIME listed “RiRi” as one of the 100 most Influential People of the Year, then knowing the Westbury girl is considered a role model  whether she likes it or not, then why did Oprah not ask her about how Nivea cancelled her huge contract?

What was Rihanna’s big idea of sporting C**T on a pendant into a Catholic Church – how could Oprah miss such a thing if she is truly concerned about women’s rights? Even “RiRi” using the same jewellery when taking photos with young fans at their parents’ ire?

If this gal from Westbury is so into God and loves her Grandmother so much, then why accept a lapdance from a midget Dominatrix which could confuse and upset the old lady – you don’t think she’d hear in this day and age of Technology, if the grandmother did not view it herself then she could have been told by a neighbour? Oprah should’ve ALSO asked why Rihanna does these extreme bad things which contrasts with “RiRi’s” Cultural Ambassador status for Barbados?”

From the Bajan Reporter story Rihanna’s So-Called Interview With Oprah – What was NOT there…

Oprah – Rihanna interview sampler released

The Nivea 100th anniversary Rihanna campaign was successful

Have a look at the above video showing part of the Nivea 100th anniversary campaign featuring Rihanna. According to the video, the campaign was successful. That tends to show that the recent falling out between Nivea and Rihanna is based upon Rihanna’s image problem, and not the short term performance of the campaign or her representation of Nivea products.

Rihanna’s managers and Rihanna herself should probably be assessing if this client loss is a blip in the plan – or indicative of something larger.

Nivea CEO trashes Rihanna contract as Barbados Tourism Authority announces her new promotional campaign

Rihanna pays strippers for oral sex show.

Can Rihanna effectively market upscale products and destinations while promoting her wild lifestyle, drugs, raunch and drunken puking in public?

by Passin thru (with Marcus)

Along with many other Bajans, Barbados Free Press sadly watched as homegirl Rihanna turned from a fresh faced young talent into a superstar queen of wild living and raunchy public displays that prove money can’t buy wisdom, class – or true happiness. Yes, I know she’s worth millions and she picked up oodles of big awards and that her music is everywhere. I like most of her music. The girl sure can sing, but sing isn’t all that this Barbados Tourism Authority spokesperson does…

The argument that the photos and scandals we’re seeing in the press are a normal young person’s missteps that only came to light because of Rihanna’s fame, doesn’t hold water when you follow her Twitter feed and realize that she herself promotes her wild lifestyle (including drugs) to her young fans.

August 8, 2012: Rihanna’s latest Twitter to the world “Typical fuck shit! Please, by all means, shock me next time…”

Rihanna actively promotes her bad behaviour through her own social media

Look, if Rihanna or any young woman wants to behave that way, that’s hardly my business in the normal course of events. I may have even been out with a few wild girls myself a few years back. I may have even looked for them as men often do.

I wouldn’t bring that type of girl home to meet the parents though. No Sir. I would have been too embarrassed to try that.

Bad girls can do what they want and it’s none of my business – except that Rihanna’s wild child life is my business when we are talking about whether her life choices might degrade her ability to properly represent Barbados.

Nivea has doubts about the value of Rihanna’s name for their purposes; should Barbados have any doubts?

Rihanna back with her abuser Chris Brown – Will Oprah tell it like it is?

“I’m going to beat the shit out of you when you get home. You wait and see.”

…Chris Brown as said to Robyn Rihanna Fenty. Detailed in court documents read on Oprah’s show, March 6, 2009

Rihanna and Oprah are in Barbados today, touring about and filming for an upcoming Oprah television spot. Oprah sent out a photo to her fans of the big O being driven around the island by RiRi. And by a strange coincidence (ha ha) the Barbados Tourism Authority announced another media campaign with Rihanna in the spotlight telling about how wonderful it is in Bim. And so it is.

Then in the middle of all that positive vibe we have the news that Rihanna and Chris Brown are back together as a couple.

… and that JAY-Z has given Rihanna and Chris Brown’s relationship the seal of approval.

A little advice from Auntie Moses for all the girls including Rihanna who appears to have left her self-worth somewhere else in her travels…

“He beat you once, he beat you again. Doan fool yourself about ‘sorry’.”

“Rihanna & Chris Brown: A Violent Mix

The court also heard that, as is often the case in these couples battles, there had been previous incidents of violence by both Brown and Rihanna. The sentencing report also confirmed the rumours about Chris Brown smashing the windows and mirrors of Rihanna’s Land Rover when they were in Barbados as a couple.

Hopefully both of them will have learned something from their mutually-destructive attraction for each other. The big life lesson is this: at the first sign of abuse – whether physical or verbal – terminate the relationship immediately.

It’s just not worth it to try and save a relationship that has already deteriorated to that point. At the first hint of abuse, I’m outta there permanently…”

… from BFP’s August 26, 2009 article Chris Brown Sentenced To Probation In Rihanna Assault – Court Reveals Ongoing Assaults By Both, Confirms Barbados Land Rover Damage Rumour

Oprah Winfrey to interview Rihanna in Barbados. Which Barbados will Oprah portray?

Which agendas are at work? What will the end product be?

A friend of mine was once interviewed by a television reporter about a problem in the community. When he saw the broadcast he was both astonished and angry because the message he communicated had been corrupted and spoiled by an editor, he believes deliberately, to make him less convincing and less credible with the audience. The tv station didn’t just leave out parts of his answers, they inserted his answer from one question to appear as if he was answering another question. The whole interview, the whole news report, became an agenda-driven lie and was my friend’s first-hand education in television fakery.

That was an extreme example of the power of editing visual images to mislead, but it reminds us that everything we see on television is carefully crafted, and selectively pieced together to suit a purpose, and at best only conveys the journalist’s perspective on the subject. When we see something on television we can easily allow ourselves to think that we’ve seen the truth, when we’ve only seen little pieces selected by someone else.

Oprah is coming to Barbados to interview Rihanna – or perhaps she’s already been. You can bet that Oprah’s staff have already decided the big messages of the show – and Rihanna hasn’t even opened her mouth yet. The preview above gives a clue that Oprah’s intent is to feature some of Barbados ‘where it all began’ for Rihanna. I guess that means the audience won’t just be seeing the Platinum Coast. (Come on up to Grape Hall, Oprah, and we’ll put on some grill fish that can’t be beat.)

No doubt the Barbados Tourism Authority is involved somehow, and if they aren’t already they should be working overtime to make sure that Oprah and her staff get the best of the best service and support we can manage. Is the government springing for staff rooms at the Hilton? We own the place, don’t we?

Subjects that interest Oprah

Victoria Rowell to replace pot-smoking Rihanna for Barbados Tourism Authority spokesperson? Victoria WHO?

“Rihanna knows she’s the BTA spokesperson, so what’s with the drugs in public?”

Dear Barbados Free Press,

Today we are treated in the news to dueling stories about the outgoing and incoming spokesgirls for the Barbados Tourism Authority.

Barbados Ambassador Rihanna is at it again, having been photographed in Barbados smoking an apparent ‘blunt’. Looks like a blunt to me. (For the unfamiliar, a ‘blunt’ is a hollowed-out cigarello filled with some choice weed of which we have plenty in B’town.) I know the girl was here for her grandmother’s funeral and I respect that, and I don’t think that smoking some herb will do any harm to a person.

But.

The girl is supposed to be the BTA spokesperson and we’re paying her who knows how much to represent the very best face for this island. She knows she’s being photographed. She knows she’s the BTA spokesperson, so what’s with the drugs in public? This latest photo follows similar photos elsewhere (Hawaii ?) and Rihanna’s Tweets about smoking grass. The ‘best by’ expiry date is long past for the girl as the BTA spokesperson, know what I mean? Time to find a replacement.

Meet Rihanna’s BTA replacement… WHO?

Truth be told I never lived under no rock for the past twenty years. I have a job. I have friends, I watch CBC and download torrents of first run Hollywood movies from Pirate’s Bay. I read the newspapers and kill a paperback a month while sitting on the toilet, know what I mean?

I never heard of no Victoria Rowell. I heard of the soap opera The Young and The Restless, but I never watched it. I never heard of the character ‘Drucilla Winters’ or Victoria Rowell, the actress who plays her. I know Rowell plays ‘Drucilla Winters’ because I read it in the Barbados Advocate. In the Nation they have a photo of Rowell with two other women and one man and they have to identify her by saying “second right“. Man, how famous is you when the photo has to say “second right”?

It looks like the BTA traded Rihanna for Victoria Rowell (WHO?) and Victoria was in the news touring Bim and saying nice things about a place she’s obviously never been before.

How much are we paying for all this? I just can’t take it anymore. The pain is too much!

Pass that blunt, RiRi. I need to breathe deep.

Junior Tomas, Crab Hill

Nation News Rihanna photo mistake made me smile

Visitors to The Nation’s website earlier today were greeted with a photo that seems to be captioned about this weekend’s weather.

Yup, the photo of a smiling Rihanna looking prettier and more feminine than we’ve seen her in a long time proclaimed “Prepare for a wet weekend.”

Indeed.  🙂

It looks like a copy editor made a wee mistake and labelled the wrong photo. That’s probably the editor’s story and if I were him, I’d stick with it!

I had to laugh at the error, but then I felt a little sad. You know, this photo reminds me of the Rihanna that we knew only a few years ago although it seems like such a long time past. Look at her: fresh, pretty – no raunchy dress or moves, no over the top hair, no tweeting photos of strippers having oral sex (yes, that was the latest) – just a pretty girl in a nice dress. I wonder, am I the only one who smiled at the photo, and then felt a little sad?

Cliverton

UK Commons Speaker’s wife to make Barbados speech with or without clothes?

click photo for larger

Conflict of Interest scandal surrounds Sally Bercow’s Barbados trip.

Barbados Anti-Gay buggery laws also focus of attention.

“I would end up sometimes at a bar and someone would send a drink over, and I’d think, ‘Why not?’ and we’d go home together. I liked the excitement of not knowing how a night was going to end.”

Sally Bercow, Labour Party approved candidate and wife of UK Commons Speaker John Bercow at Mizzo

Folks, this should be fun… and the story is already garnering some great publicity for Barbados.

If somebody at the Barbados Tourism Authority could take credit for the growing scandal surrounding Mrs. Bercow’s upcoming speaking engagement at the Bridgetown Hilton, I’m sure they would jump at the opportunity. We won’t say “You can’t buy publicity like this”, because you can and Barbados buys stories all the time as part of the BTA’s marketing efforts.

… But this one wasn’t bought. It’s the perfect storm and hopefully the BTA will jump in to make the best of it. After all, it’s free publicity!

The BTA won’t be able to take credit for Sally Bercow because she’s already a legend in the Brit papers after ‘scandalizing Parliament’ by appearing on the TV show Big Brother and posing nearly naked in front of Parliament.

Oh yes… she also told the Brit public what it is like to have sex in the Speaker’s bed under Big Ben (apparently very exciting!), and also told about her binge drinking, drug use and series of one night stands with… well, anybody. Even Gordon Brown succumbed to her, ah, assets, when the Queen gave here Diamond Jubilee Year address to Parliament, Mr. Brown seemed to be more interested in Sally’s “generous cleavage”. Shades of Owen Arthur and Rihanna!

Well, you know how it is… when the pretty little poodle shakes that thing, all the puppies on the block follow her around.

Caricom: Rihanna shortchanging Barbados on taxes, revenues, jobs

Caribbean Journal is reporting that Adrian Augier, co-chair of the CARICOM Regional Task Force on Cultural Industries, is on the record saying that it’s time Barbados and the rest of the Caribbean took steps to capitalise on citizens who make the big time on the world stage.

Augier noted that Rihanna is not registered with the Barbados Copyright Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, that she is a billion dollar business that keeps 15,000 people employed (?!), but little of the benefits flow to Barbados.

Although Rihanna is the biggest of the Caribbean artistes, there are others in the same position.

Does Rihanna pay tax on the monies Barbados pays her to represent our tourism industry?

Caribbean Journal raises issues about where the responsibilities of citizenship and birthright begin and end when Bajans ‘strike it rich’. It would be interesting to know how much revenues Rihanna has brought to Barbados. We’re paying her to be our tourism ‘spokesperson’ but does she still have residency in Barbados? What is the law about taxes and business taxes for Bajans who make millions outside the country? (Never had to consider that issue, myself!)

Head over to Caribbean Journal for a short news article that will make you think and might even make you upset…

Caribbean Journal: Caribbean Could Derive “Significant Revenue” from Artists like Rihanna

Barbados Tourism spokesperson Rihanna Tweets she’s smoking marijuana

Press reports Rihanna looked ‘relaxed’… No kidding!

‘Got my kush rolled and glass full!’

Our multi-million dollar Barbados Tourism Authority spokesperson just announced to the world that she’s smoking ganga in Hawaii where it’s not legal but the law looks the other way.

In a series of obviously “set-up candid” photos published in the Daily Mail, Bim’s wild child is smoking what appears to be a small cigar. At least it looks like a cigar and I don’t see any seeds popping when she downloads a lungful.  😉   (Cliverton here. I guess that tells you something ’bout me.)

If it looks like a small cigar, how do we know that Rihanna is smoking grass then? Easy… she told the world on Twitter!

So it’s all a big staged event. Rihanna “gets caught” smoking ‘erb and the world talks about her for 48 hours. Like whips, dwarf porn stars and private parts hanging out in the breeze it’s all planned for maximum shock value and maximum publicity.

Good for Rihanna. Hope she makes lots of money ’cause that’s obviously very important to the girl. I don’t have a daughter and I’ve ruined several daughters of other men myself so what do I care? Smoke away, baby. Make money and have a ball! None of my business.

Except… Rihanna represents Barbados Tourism Authority. She signed a multi-million dollar, multi-year deal to publicize Barbados Tourism. She’s a big name – maybe the biggest name – in music these days so the DLP Government decided they wanted a piece of the action.

Oh… did I mention that she’s also our Youth Ambassador? Presumably that means she’s a great example for our youth and to show the world what our youth is all about.

Barbados is holding a security conference next week because drugs are endemic in the region and closely linked with violence and other crimes… but the BTA spokesperson Rihanna says “Got my kush rolled…”

Does anybody else see a problem with this or am I the only person?

Am I a hypocrite? I don’t know… you tell me. Sure I’ve smoked a little ‘erb in my life and unlike President Clinton, I did inhale. Deeply. I may have even been supercharged a few times and if you don’t know what that is I congratulate you upon your good character. It also proves that you never met the girl we used to call ‘Wild Thing’ but that’s another story for another day.

That’s me. I also drink rum to excess and as I said before I’ve ruined more daughters than anyone else I know.

I am who I am… but then again, I’m not paid millions to be a public spokesperson for the Barbados Tourism Authority.

Tell you one thing: if Prime Minister Stuart wants to pay me the same money as Rihanna, I’ll quit all my bad habits right now and I guarantee that nobody will photograph me smoking dope when I’m supposed to be the BTA spokesperson.

Now where the ‘ell be that bottle of Mount Gay dark?

Barbados Youth Ambassador Rihanna Tweets: “Foot out dat bitch, ride dat shit like a skateboard!!!”

Why yes, Rihanna is our Ambassador for Youth and Culture and our official Barbados Tourism Authority spokesperson. Why do you ask?

Our BTA paid her big bucks. We Bajans don’t care how low it goes as long as Rihanna says “Barbados” at least every once for every time she says “Shit, Fuck, Cunt, Bitch”. (Dear readers: Are you offended because we published Rihanna’s words, or because she said them?)

And this is supposed to promote Barbados as an upscale tourism destination in what way?

Your Barbados Tourism Authority: out of ideas, out of results and still sucking money like performance measurement and return on investment don’t exist.

“Foot out dat bitch, ride dat shit like a skateboard!!! Thank u to my G’z at RocNation baby!” Riri tweeted…

… from AceShowBiz.com Rihanna Receives a Black Wrangler From Roc Nation