Tourism

Direct Airlift Between Barbados & Africa Vital For Trade

The Caribbean and Africa possess complementary strengths in various sectors, making them natural trading partners. And, for successful trading and the enhancement of ties to occur, there needs to be direct airlift connectivity.

This is the view of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Senior Minister Coordinating the Productive Sector, Kerrie Symmonds, who added that the airlift must be cost-effective to generate substantial interest.

Mr. Symmonds stated this while speaking virtually at the Barbados Coalition of Service Industries’ (BCSI) business forum panel discussion on Airlinking Prosperity: Bridging Trade and Services in The Caribbean and African Region.

He noted that, to date, Barbados had signed air services agreements with Ghana, Kenya, and Rwanda and is in the process of discussing how to actualise the airlift.

“But an air service agreement is not something you can fly on. Therefore, you need to have, obviously, the airline. But before the airline can leave the ground, there has to be some economic framework, some substance that allows for this effort to make sense, otherwise you will have … a collapse,” the Minister explained.

He stressed that direct airlift between Barbados and Africa would be expensive and subsidising seats was not the ideal way. He proposed that to get started, the region should consider chartered flights; the use of technology as a tool for interconnectivity and trade, while promoting what each destination has to offer in business, services, culture, and leisure.

“There is, in my judgment, tremendous mutual interests on both sides of the Atlantic, Africa and in the Caribbean in building this bridge … and there are some things which are within our grasp immediately.

“Broadcasting can be done. Promotion of film and of our music helps us to build that cultural familiarity and an understanding of each other in a much better way, and I think we should go full blast on that, while even as we work then to put the nuts and bolts together on the more heavy lifting, which is really what the air services would require,” Minister Symmonds stated.

Also participating in the panel discussion were Chairman of the Barbados Private Sector Association, Dr. Trisha Tannis; Director of Finance and Resource Management, of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, Neil Walters; and Associate, Afreximbank, Victor Mukete.

The overall consensus was that the two regions, though geographically separated, share historical, cultural, and economic ties that could present vast potential for economic growth and development in the face of rising costs across the world; and direct airlift along with technology is key.

They proposed for future trading and tourism to occur successfully, there must be public-private partnerships to foster trade and services; entrepreneurs need to be less “risk-averse” and open to exporting their products and services beyond the region; increase the use of technology and digital platforms, for example, fintech, blockchain, a regional virtual marketplace, and multi-destination tourism.

In addition, they also suggested tapping into investment and technical assistance available, for example Afreximbank, and for CARICOM to come together and address barriers to trade and standardisation issues, which would assist with getting accredited and having the requisite standards for trading internationally. (PR/GIS)

Tourism

BARBADIAN REUBEN LEROY BROWNE NAMED GENERAL MANAGER AT WYNDHAM GRAND BARBADOS SAM LORDS CASTLE

Wyndham Grand Barbados Sam Lords Castle has appointed Barbadian Reuben Leroy Browne as General Manager of the all-inclusive luxury resort in St. Philip.

With over 30 years of experience in the tourism industry with major international brands across the Caribbean, Browne will be responsible for the hotel’s operations including enhancing guest experiences and revenue growth, while focusing on strategic planning, resource management and prioritizing environmental and social responsibility activities, among other tasks.

The new General Manager, who took up the post last month (October), said, “Over the past few weeks, I have had the privilege of getting to know our amazing team and exploring everything our beautiful resort has to offer. Our team is truly dedicated, and together we are committed to enhancing the guest experience as we approach the winter season.

“I’m proud to share that all of our resort’s food and beverage outlets are all operational, including the Mediterranean Restaurant for all-day dining, Sam Lords Grill, and our signature fine-dining venue, Castle View. Our Lucy’s Lounge, named in honor of Sam Lords’ wife, adds a unique touch to the resort, and we also have six well-appointed bars throughout the property to cater to our guests’ needs.”

He added that the spa, 24 hour gym and Kid’s Club are also functioning at full steam for both locals and visitors to utlise and said, “Our next steps will be to fill key vacancies starting with the Director of Sales and Marketing. We are also continuing our promotion of the property in key source markets at events such as World Travel Market in London, which our Revenue Manager attended earlier this month.”

Browne, who has a strong educational background from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and several management development programmes, most recently served as General Manager of an all-inclusive 294 suite property in Antigua.

Since starting his career in the industry in 1984, he has developed a successful track record in various leadership roles including Food and Beverage Manager, Operations Manager, Residence Manager, Director of Operations and Chief Commercial Officer at renowned hotels and resorts in Barbados and the region.

An active member in various professional associations including the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) and past member of the Downtown Nassau Partnership, he also dedicates his time to charitable endeavors including the Optimist Club. (PR)

Caption: Barbadian Reuben Leroy Browne has been appointed General Manager of the all-inclusive Wyndham Grand Barbados Sam Lords Castle.

Tourism

BHTA BARBADOS NATIONAL CULINARY TEAM OFF TO TASTE OF THE CARIBBEAN 2024

Members of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association’s (BHTA) Barbados National Culinary Team left the island last Saturday to compete in the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s (CHTA) Taste of the Caribbean, which takes place in Miami from November 18 to 20.

They are Chef Rynaldo Joseph, Junior Chef Dejuan Toppin, Pastry Chef Rickeena Kirton and Mixologist Alex Chandler, along with Team Manager Adrian Cumberbatch, Assistant Team Manager Javon Cummins and Coaches Damian Leach and Rohan Hackshaw.

Cumberbatch noted that the team is ready to put their best plates and beverages forward: “There has been a lot of preparation over the past few weeks to get everyone ready for the competition. Our focus was on strengthening a number of areas ranging from time management to concepts and flavor profiles. After weeks of hard work and dedication I can confidently say that the team members are all ready to showcase their talent and skills and to make Barbados proud.”

BHTA’s Special Projects Manager, Tessalee Moore, who is among a BHTA contingent, including Chairman Javon Griffith and CEO Ryan Forde, attending Taste to support the team, explained that the Association was more than happy to be facilitating the process to get team Barbados to the prestigious event.

Caption: Members of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association’s (BHTA) Barbados National Culinary Team at the GAIA yesterday with BHTA CEO Ryan Forde (left) and Special Projects Manager Tessalee Moore (second from left) on the way to the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s (CHTA) Taste of the Caribbean in Miami.

“We are extremely happy that Taste is back and that Barbados can attend and defend our title as Caribbean Team of the Year. But beyond that, for the BHTA, Taste is more than a competition. It is also a major training and developmental tool for our chefs and mixologists as it provides educational opportunities by way of seminars, workshops and demonstrations on the trends and emerging concepts in Food and Beverage.

“While we would love Team Barbados to bring home gold and the bragging rights as Team of the Year again, we equally want the members to gain from this experience in a way that will propel their careers and for them to willingly share their knowledge with their peers when they return. This is their opportunity to showcase their skills on an international platform and we want them to take full advantage of that opportunity.” (PR)

Tourism

EXPLORA 11 DOCKS FOR THE FIRST TIME

The Explora II docked at the Port of Bridgetown for the first time yesterday, bringing 427 passengers to the island’s shore.

During a plaque exchange ceremony on board the vessel, Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Ian Gooding- Edghill, thanked Captain Serena Melani for guiding what he described as a “magnificent” ship into the Port of Bridgetown.

“We certainly want to thank you and your team on board, and certainly the executives at MSC, for taking the opportunity to continue to have the confidence in Barbados as a home port,” he said.

Captain of the vessel, Serena Melani, who was the first woman in cruise industry history to captain a new ocean cruise ship launch in February 2020, said it was “nice to be back”, and that she was happy to bring another vessel to the Barbados. She previously brought the Explora I to the island during the 2023-2024 winter season.

*Minister of Tourism Ian Gooding Edghill & Captain Serena Melani*

The Explora Journeys’ Explora II transatlantic cruise itinerary, which began in Barcelona, Spain, will make six homeporting visits to Barbados during the 2024-2025 winter season.

The next port of call for the cruise vessel is Fort-de-France, Martinique.

In addition to the Explora II, the Port of Bridgetown also welcomed the MSC Magnifica for the first time. Britannia P&O and Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas also docked yesterday, bringing a total of 8,000 visitors to the island. (PR/GIS)