Hartley Henry - DLP Political Strategist
I am particularly happy to hear of the airline breakthrough with respect to establishing direct air links between Barbados and Brazil. It has not altered my not backing Brazil to win the football World Cup, but it has certainly created enormous concepts in my mind for modernizing the tourism product.
Several commentators to date have zoomed in on inherent challenges in filling those airline seats, I am more inclined to approach the topic from the opportunity it provides for us create a first rate destination. We are blessed with such natural tourism attributes as year round sea, sand and sun, but somehow I get the impression that as a population, we assume sometimes that other features will take care of themselves and do not necessarily need nurturing and sustaining.
In a discussion such as this, the issue of price always arises but I am not persuaded that Barbados, in the context of the destinational altitude that it flies, is any more expensive than comparable locales. Dollar for dollar, in the context of what tourists normally buy, we are no more expensive than Jamaica, Bahamas and definitely not Cayman Islands or Bermuda. In relation to Europe and North America, pound for pound, dollar for dollar you get as much or more here in Barbados as you do for the said output in any of the very popular shopping, entertainment and leisure ports of call.
So while I agree that we must always keep mark ups in check, I am not persuaded that you can secure a visit to any facility akin to that of Harrison’s Cave anywhere in the tourism stratosphere for cheaper. The same applies to a Night Out in Oistins or an evening in The Gap. The problem comes, I believe, when you compare apples to oranges and pit Barbados against destinations that are really not in its league; certainly not in the consciousness of the discerning visitor.
My desire for continued monitoring and upgrade of the local product focuses more on ‘things to do’ and in this regard I do believe that stakeholders need to address this issue frontally and as a team. From where I stand, there appears to be too much finger pointing and pointless bellyaching among tourism oriented administrators. Tourism is much like economics; there is no single correct theory. Therefore, the movers and shakers, I believe, need to focus more on addressing the obvious problems that retard the growth of the industry, than naming and shaming who is doing what and who should give more and who has not done enough.
I am concerned, for example, that in opening our doors to the Brazilians we need to study the culture of this market and ask ourselves whether the existing week’s offering is adequate for a group of persons who obviously will be more high energy than the traditional European visitor. Shouldn’t we, for example, be looking to upgrade and expand the Oistins Fish Fry experience? Certainly, we may have to look at kicking off the weekend extravaganza on Thursdays, with perhaps a slightly different ambience, menu and or selection of music.
And while we are at it, can we introduce a mid week all day beach festival probably to the back of Whispers on Bay Street? Beach lovers say that is the best and most picturesque beach in Barbados, yet, to my mind, it is sadly underutilized. As the brain is in gear right now, why don’t we nip back up to the Garrison Savannah and have mid week racing, followed in short order by night racing? I would think that would be a hit with all visitors, not just the Brazilians.
Barbadians are still not willing to embrace the concept of casinos, even though we have more slot machines per square mile than most competing destinations outside of Atlantic City and Las Vegas, so I will not on this occasion suggest an upgrade of the offerings in gaming.
The point one is making is that the government and its associated agencies have already created the enabling environment. It is now up to stakeholders to cash in and exploit opportunities to the fullest. How about a rebranding of Barbados as a Wedding destination or even as second to none for all the underwater activities and opportunities that we take for granted, but which would be a spectacular discovery for our friends from the south? We ought not to underestimate the giant strides we have made in recent months as a mecca for sports tourism. Surely, cricket, horse racing, polo, motor racing, sailing, track and field and several table games come readily to mind. Such tournaments can be sourced and made permanent fixtures on our annual things-to-do-and-see in Barbados calendar.
I don’t know about you, Dear Reader, but I get tired sometimes hearing the cliché lines of complaint from hotel spokespersons in particular. This constant begging for more is not directed at any single governing party. It is a culture of bellyaching that needs to stop. In this economic environment, there is not much more, in terms of dollars, that the government or its tourism marketing agency, the Barbados Tourism Authority can offer. We need to pursue and maintain a presence in source markets and sustained advertising is necessary, but, by the same token, we need to ensure that those who visit leave these shores contended and eager to relay positive impressions and experiences.
The planes will bring the Brazilians here, but what will we do to excite and entertain them? How will we get them to spend? How will we get them to so fall in love with this country that they return home and market its features to family and friends?
I believe there is need for greater innovation on the part of tourism stakeholders. Why do we wait for Easter, Mother’s Day and Christmas to invite locals to dine in our establishments? Why can’t there be a monthly St. Lawrence Gap Festival, sponsored and organized by businesses in the Gap? What about the Holetown Festival? Are enough local tourism-oriented businesses involved? Are they doing enough to market the festival to locals and visitors alike?
How much really are individual proprietors doing to market their establishments and the industry as a whole? I don’t see or hear a whole lot of marketing initiatives in my travels abroad, yet, week after week there is the complaint that ‘government’ is not doing enough? I travel the region and farther afield and I see Barbadian manufactured products on sale, as well as advertised in the mass media. The number of tourism and especially hotel oriented facilities doing direct marketing in the tourism marketplace can be counted on a single hand. Yet, as a body, they have adopted this “gimmuh” mentality, which effectively forms one’s mirror image of certain industry practitioners.
I take my hat off to Mrs. Ram Merchandani and her team at Casa Grande. She could have thrown her hands up in despair, but rather she has gone outside of the box and established a family oriented entertainment centre that’s like a God send for thousands of persons, visitors and locals alike, each week. Why can’t others get up off their hind and do likewise?
The Brazilian market is open and for the time being hundreds of Brazilians will be coming to our shores each month. We need stakeholders now to take the baton and run with it. Even with the depressed state of the local economy, Barbadians have relatively high disposable incomes, as seen in their spending on weekends. We need to find ways to make that spending a pleasure. We need to develop initiatives that appeal to visitors and locals alike. Thinking and acting outside of the box is what is required at this point. Let us use the occasion of the coming of the Brazilians to do just that.
This submission was received from Adrian Loveridge. BU has been carrying the HH article and it makes some sense to post Adrian’s article as a comment to the HH article to encourage a conversation which flows.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QSx5ZRfhZo
Well said Adrian. Having been involved in the Industy for all of my working life I am appaled at Henry’s apparent ignorance of the subject. obviously he did insufficient research before putting pen to paper had he done his research he may have written a different story… or is he just trying to mislead as is his usual tactic.
What of Spring to Barbados a BHTA initiative that was screwed by the BTA who had agreed to be lead marketers but brought the product to the market so late that the booking window was virtually impossible to work with. What about the passport to savings that were to be distributed to Hotels for guests that sit gathering dust at the BTA. is there an agenda at the BTA. It is time for Taylor, Gilkes and their cronies to go and lets get knowledgable people who are willing to work to move tourism forward on board.
Good to see that the big thinker Mr. Hartley Henry has been doing some big thinking about the sector that accounts for 50 percent of this country’s economy.
If I could just make a minor comment? Mr. Henry: if your thinking is so woefully disfigured by the kind of meaningless, business-speak jargon that stifles thought and impedes understanding, then you’re not well placed to offer advice to anybody about anything.
You should simply go away and ramble on to yourself about undefined “upgrades” and non-specific “stakeholders” and vague “experiences”.
My personal highlights from Mr. Henry’s latest episode of big thinking:
___________________________________________________
“I am not persuaded that Barbados, in the context of the destinational altitude that it flies, is any more expensive than comparable locales.”
___________________________________________________
Mr. Henry: what does “destinational altitude” even mean? Does it mean anything? Anything at all? It’s simply sloppy writing and therefore, by definition, it is sloppy thinking. Try not to do it again.
___________________________________________________
“I am not persuaded that you can secure a visit to any facility akin to that of Harrison’s Cave anywhere in the tourism stratosphere for cheaper.”
___________________________________________________
Mr. Henry: what is a “tourism stratosphere”? Do you mean in space? There are no caves in space. Do you mean the world? There are more interesting caves in the world. The point is that I don’t know what you mean. Sloppy writing and sloppy thinking.
Harrison’s Cave is a semi-interesting hole in the ground. No tourist comes to Barbados to visit Harrison’s Cave. People visit Barbados and then have to think about things to do here. And one of the things they can do is visit a semi-interesting hole in the ground. If you’re really interested in caves, and you’re thinking about visiting caves on your vacation, Barbados is not high on your list of “destinational altitudes”.
___________________________________________________
“In opening our doors to the Brazilians we need to study the culture of this market and ask ourselves whether the existing week’s offering is adequate for a group of persons who obviously will be more high energy than the traditional European visitor.”
__________________________________________________
Mr. Henry: your evidence for the “obvious” energy of Brazilians relative to Europeans is what, exactly?
___________________________________________________
“Shouldn’t we, for example, be looking to upgrade and expand the Oistins Fish Fry experience?”
___________________________________________________
Mr. Henry: it’s impossible to know what this means, because it doesn’t mean anything. First, what is the Oistins fish fry “experience”? I normally call it “dinner”. And how do you “upgrade” it? What do you mean? You want table cloths and silver cutlery? A decent wine list at every stall? You’re not saying anything. You’re simply using random biz-speak bullshit (“experience”, “upgrade”) to pretend that you’re saying something. Even worse, you’re couching the biz-speak bullshit as a question rather than as a suggestion. Meaningless. Sloppy writing and sloppy thinking.
___________________________________________________
“We may have to look at kicking off the weekend extravaganza on Thursdays”
___________________________________________________
Mr. Henry: what “extravaganza”? A lot of (usually) pleasant Bajans hustling tourists to eat marlin at stall A rather than stall B? That’s an extravaganza? It’s come to this, our concept of an extravaganza?
For a tourist, Mr. Henry, the entire appeal of a fish dinner at Oistins is its slightly shabby charm. I say that not only with all due respect, but with real affection. I eat dinner in Oistins about once a week, and some of the people who’ve cooked for me there are among the most solid citizens I’ll ever meet. They would never say “destinational altitude” or “upgrade” or “stakeholder”. But then again, who but a dunce ever really needs to say things like that?
___________________________________________________
“From where I stand, there appears to be too much finger pointing and pointless bellyaching … It is a culture of bellyaching that needs to stop … The point one is making is that the government and its associated agencies have already created the enabling environment.”
___________________________________________________
Mr. Henry: by “one”, I assume you mean “I”.
And the point I am making is that “enabling environment” was created by geography and geology, not by the government. If a country is blessed by a certain geography and geology, and if half that country’s economy comes to depend on tourism, then a huge part of the government’s entire purpose is to devise public policies that are conducive to the continued health of tourism. It is no part of the government’s job to “bellyache” about “stakeholders” who should “upgrade” the “experience”.
If I had the time and inclination, Mr. Henry, I would expound at length about your biz-speak jargon of “outside the box”.
You seem, Mr. Henry, to be a highly unoriginal thinker who can only express himself in business clichés and hackneyed phrases. For someone who is supposed to be a professional communicator, your skills in the area of communication are strictly limited. Sloppy writing is always a reflection of sloppy thinking.
Why is anybody surprised at what Hartley says? After all he is blessed with outstanding knowledge of everything under the sun, coupled with wit and humour. Just look at the brilliant way he used the article to let us know who he is supporting for the World Cup
This we needed to know! Made a lot of difference on how we viewed the article! Having more locals eating in the restaurants will entice the Brazilians to come. Sheer genius. He must be declared a National Treasure forthwith!
Mr. Bowman,
A very useful (and very enjoyable) contribution, at last ! Apologies if I missed an earlier one.
You should also have a look at the writings of a certain Mr. Blackett. I suspect you will find them at a similar “destinational altitude”.
I thought this statement was a gem;
“Tourism is much like economics; there is no single correct theory.”
I suspect that Mr. Henry not only does not understand Tourism, he knows little of economics (nor the meaning of the word theory).
He sets out for us nothing more than the proverbial straw man.
Think “outside of the box” he demands of others, but regrettably not of himself. The BTA can do no more according to Mr. Henry.
As you said, sloppy thinking.
My heart-felt sympathies go out to Hon P.M. Thompson and his family. I wish him a speedy and lasting recovery, and look forward to seeing him back at his desk in Bay Street.
BUT……… Isn’t this a good time Hon .Mr.Stuart, to get the rid of Hartley? Do you really want or need his services? Could never understand how Mr.Thompson kept him around.
Well said!! Watchman!
He is a smug, smarmy, self-aggrandising propagandist who has fooled a lot of inexperienced politicians into thinking that he is a public relations genius. The communication he produces on behalf of the DLP is so utterly lacking in credibility that it is actually beginning to have a negative affect on the government. Many people simply CANNOT understand why they keep him on.
With respect BU household has a big problem with supporting Casa Grande. This woman has built her wealth on the backs of poor Black people often treating them like dirt in the process. Could say a lot more but she might be tempted to take the poor BU household to the cleaners the same she has other Blacks in this country.
Casa Grande? visit Trip Advisor and read the comments. The place is a dump.
And as they say ” Sixty million Frenchmen cannot be wrong.” But what a pity after spending what might have been a very enjoyable vacation in Barbados , experience a flight delay, and having to be put up at this hotel. All of the good that has been done by other hoteliers during that 2/3 week vacation is destroyed in a single night. Of course the airline will look for the cheapest hotel to accommodate their passengers,that is except LIAT who put their passenger up on the airport floor.
The Ministry of Tourism as well as the Hotel Association need to look into this matter which has been splashed all over one of the most popular travel info sites on the web, as eventually it is bound to hurt those otherwise reputable hotels.
But it goes to show that as always, some people in this country can get away with anything, anytime,anywhere and always. And no one is eager to bell this particular cat, or ramgote.
We all know Casa Grande falls woefully short of the mark. Why would so many Barbadians frequent such an establishment divorce from the knowledge of how the owner’s wealth was accumulated? Finally why would someone of Henry’s stature be so glowing in his praise for such a person?
Both sides, D and B may be guilty of giving the woman glowing praises. Political wise for her, its a matter of ”Heads I win, Tails I win.” A true untouchable. What ever became of the case where one of her employees, during the construction(for want of a better word) of the same Casa Grande had both arms severed?
Whatever become of the push for Heritage Tourism? Has it ended with the construction of the Board Walk, a new plastic Swing Bridge and a few renovated buildings in the city.
Part of a Tourist kit, is a camera . The Garrison is a very picturesque and historical area,but the places where visitors ,and locals alike stop, to take pictures are marred by unsightly Chemical Toilets.
Millions of taxpayers dollars were spent renovating the Old Town Hall building,a beautiful building which now houses some Tourism Investment offices. But the area at the southern end of the building,in what I believe is Cumberland Street, is a diabolical disgrace. Vendors have left their garbage and old scrapped tent shelter there.
It looks as if plans to refurbish the Empire Cinema building will one more be placed in the long term pending tray, if not file 13,as the Chinese are no longer interested in funding its renovation. Perhaps we can ask Barbadians to voluntary contribute toward the cost of the renovations. Did we not raise millions to refurbish the house in Bush Hill, where George Washington stayed?
Queens Park is fast becoming a rundown ramshackle place. The NCC does an excellent keeping the grounds tidy and attractive, but the buildings are awful. Many people using the road through the Park, may be mistaken that its only the Old Steel Shed that is in a semi-derelict state, the main building,once the HQ of the General Officer Commanding the West India Regiment, and which now houses the Queens Park Gallery, is dropping to bits at its seam. Take a look at its backside and you will hang your head in shame. At the back of this building, are about 3 to 4 other smaller buildings that have been abandoned.
@Bosun
Does the Queen’s Park restaurant still function? There was a time when a good cou cou could be had for a reasonable price.
A part of Queens Park not normally seen.
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/37486181
I could be wrong, I believe the QPRestaurant was between the Steel Shed and the main building, QP Gallery. If so then this is one of the buildings on the road to decay.
Peter Wickham in Guyana drumming up business?
Peter Wickham in Guyana with Hartley Henry?
Wut a ting!
Didn’t Henry suggest sometime back in a previous article that he was winding down his regional consultative commitments to devote fulltime to his job as DLP political strategist?
Here is what Randy P has written about HH forage into Guyana politics. We remember Randy P right?
I was comforted by the comments attributed to the Minister of Tourism in today’s Barbados Advocate
highlighting the importance of working with the private sector tourism players. Especially hot on the heels of the negative and derogatory remarks made by Mr. Henry is this last column.
All of us have to realise that the ONLY way we are going to maximise our tourism potential is by working together and I am sure the Minister understand this.
And given the fact that the private sector has had to assume much of the role of marketing Barbados in recent times.
Mr. Henry also should has to learn that the only way our tourism industry functions and has progressed is largely due to all the voluntary work undertaken by the officers, committee Chairpersons and product clubs of private sector driven organisations like the BHTA and TDC and individuals that sit on statutory boards like the BTA.
These people give extraordinary amounts of their time, free of charge and often to the detriment of their own businesses, motivated by the national interest.
Their reward can be a little as being disgarded as unceremoniously as a piece of used lavatory paper.
This is a concept possibily alien to Mr. Henry, who enjoys a yet be be disclosed, but rumoured to be high, annual consultancy fee from the Barbadian taxpayer , yet still appears to have plenty of time to spend in Bermuda, Antigua, Dominica, St. Kitts, Trinidad and Tobago and the latest, Guyana to advise on ‘political strategies’.
Less kinder persons might call it meddling in other Sovereign Government’s domestic affairs.
Presumably, Mr. Henry does not do this consultantcy ‘work’ free of charge
like us ‘gimmuh mentality (tourism) industry practioners’?
Speaking of consultants, I remember the Prime Minister in the Sunday Sun revealing the names and salaries of the consultants of the last administration. I think it is time he revealed the names and salaries of his consultants. For example, Cranston Browne replaced Mark Williams as Special Events Co-ordinator; Hugh Foster is at the Ministry of Tourism; Wayne Simmons and Doug Hoyte at the NFC; Hartley Henry (who knows what he does); Hamilton Lashley is also a consultant (AGAIN); the list goes on.
What has become of the Pier Head Development? All we seem to have got out of that is a large car park.
Nelson’s Dock Yard in Antigua attracts a fair number of visitors. At the Pier Head we have an old screw dock, probably the only one left in the hemisphere that has the potential to pull in many visitors, but we are allowing it to steadily decay. I have first seen this dock, when it was fully in operation, back in the early 60′s ,and even today I still find it interesting. The recent burning of a boat in the vicinity, by the authorities has damaged some of the wooden beams.
Is it a matter of time before we see it tear down and carted off to the metal dump,like the Swing Bridge.
The Old Screw dock on Cavans Lane / Pier Head
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/37553273
Note with interest that Dennis Johnson asked the hard question on the call in show today of the need for a government to contract the service of a political consultant.