Barbados Tourism Minister Calls for Diversified Attractions to Boost Visitor Spend: Full Story Inside

Attractions, attractions and even more attractions. That’s the focus and direction in which this country’s tourism sector should go, Minister of Tourism Ian Gooding-Edghill said yesterday.

Speaking in the Well of Parliament during the annual Estimates Debate, Gooding-Edghill said the Oistins Bay Garden on Fridays and the new-look Harrison’s Cave were holding their own keeping Barbados’ place as a thriving destination, but there was no doubt the island was still short of attractions that could lead to significant visitor spend.

“The fact is that repeat visitors do not want to do the same things they did in Barbados the year before,” said Gooding-Edghill, a former consultant in the hospitality industry.

His comments came after Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of Government Business in the House of Assembly, Santia Bradshaw, asked for a clearer idea of how increased arrivals in Barbados over the past two years could be directly related to money spent on the ground by tourists.

Gooding-Edghill made it clear Barbados remained short of attractions that could draw money from the pockets of visitors. (BA)