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Ship! Ship! Hooray!
by DONNA SEALY
Posted: Nov 6, 2009 12:22 UTC
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BRIDGETOWN - Despite fears of a fall-off in travel, Barbados is preparing to welcome increased numbers of tourists in the current cruise season.
Following a 6.6 per cent increase in cruise passengers for January to August 2009, there are projections for a five per cent increase in the season, which began October 15 and runs until April 30.
President of the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association (BHTA), Wayne Capaldi, told the WEEKEND NATION via email yesterday: “This trend will continue into November and the rest of the winter season 2010.
“This is one ‘green shoot’ in our tourism sector as we are anticipating an approximately five per cent growth over 2008/09.”
At least one cruise ship is scheduled to dock at the Bridgetown Port every day of the season.
There are days, such as Saturday, November 21, when five cruise ships are expected to drop anchor.
On November 25 there will be four ships; November 26, three; November 27, two; November 28, three; November 29, two, and on November 30, one.
Retailers are getting ready to greet the increased number of shoppers.
Corporate communications manager of Cave Shepherd, Hugh Durant, said the store would be opening every Sunday, starting from November 22, “to accommodate any business”.
“We also have shops in the port which will be open but we haven’t made a final decision on Bridgetown as yet.
“We normally try to get an idea of what numbers are coming on the ship to help us make our decision,” he said.
And with five ships scheduled to arrive on Boxing Day, December 26, and four on New Year’s Day, Durant said management “will decide later on when it gets closer” to that time whether to open or not.
“It depends on staff availability if it is a busy Christmas,” he explained.
General manager of Atlantis Submarines, Roseanne Myers, said it would definitely be open for business whenever there were cruise ships in.
“We open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. We normally do very well on those holidays.
“Some of our busiest days are on those days simply because people are in a festive mood and are looking for things to do. The stores are closed usually and there are not a lot of options.”
Meanwhile, chairman of Caves of Barbados, Haldene Dottin, said the Harrison’s Cave should be ready to reopen to the public in the new year.
“We will be able to cash in for part of the tourist season, so I’m expecting that by the end of November, we’ll be in a better position to say, ‘Look, December, January, February, March’, but we are optimistic.”
He added that the board was “taking our time from contractors and project managers” regarding the opening.
Some taxi operators, though, were not enthusiastic, lamenting that business from cruise passengers was down.
They said the passengers were opting to walk to The City, were taking fewer island tours, or preferring to laze around on the beach.
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