By Joseph Doway
News Americas, MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, Fri. Jan. 18, 2013: The world in relation to tourism is a global factor – a very competitive factor where the only choice makers are the tourist themselves.
In other words, when they are seeking to go on vacation, it is dependent on what they are seeking and who offers the same. The Caribbean islands in general, with the exception of Dominica, St. Lucia and the French Antilles, sell themselves basically on two natural assets – sea and sun.
Now, if we were to look at every island/country that has an ocean, there are beaches, be it white, pink or black sand. So, one makes a serious blunder by saying the beach is only the beginning. What is there between the beginning and the end? A few tours, a few restaurants and shopping.
Let’s look at this whole aspect of tourism and tourism promotion, which includes investments. Having started my career in the airline industry in the Caribbean, I am quite sure that my tenure in hotel management on St. Maarten and Dominica, consulting work done in St. Maarten, Dominica, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Aruba and the Bahamas, I know I have the authority to show certain required resolutions to improving the sector.
More so, my involvement with international lenders/investors and JV Partners, in relation to resort development has enlightened me.
The Product: There is always the talk that the Bahamas has it made in respect to tourism product. Strategically placed near to the United States is the beginning. The friendly attitude of Bahamians towards every one foreign is another great attribute. Then, there are the resorts, hotels and the excellent services that they provide. Bahamians are extremely patriotic when it relates to their unique culture, their music and the cuisine. They are in touch with their wealthy residents and therefore encourage investors and investments.
Dominica, another Caribbean Island with great natural musical talent, is the Nature Island of the Caribbean. In fact, one investor said that Hawaii was molded from Dominica. St. Lucia offers top notch hotels and that special creole touch, a language practiced everywhere on the island. But, that is coupled with the friendliness and willingness to serve that exist within the tourism sector of St. Lucia.
Other than marketing, we have to be able to make an impression on our visitors and give them reasons to return. In fact, cruise tourism plays a major role in that industry, since many travelers choose a cruise to get a glimpse of and country. Once they are happy with the destination, there are two resulting factors – a vacation at that destination, which could then lead to several more visits and then, a need for a second home.
Real Estates investment, construction jobs and a continued inflow of currency.
There are two other destinations up north that our governments and tourism officials need to pay careful attention to. Cuba and the Dominican Republic. They both have their own irreplaceable qualities and sophistication, being Hispanic in nature and culture. Once they continue to open their doors, visitors’ curiosity will increase.
Cost is a major factor hampering tourism on a number of islands. From very high airfare between the islands, to the high cost of goods and services.
In these times, a tourist will more likely use public transportation to go to various locations and beaches, than use a taxi for tours or location visits. Cost of constructing new hotels and resorts is another detriment to new developments. Any investor with an interest to invest will look at cost. Freight cost, material cost and labour cost. Those are factored into the business plan and feasibility study.
A research conducted by the MoonBay Group indicated that it is twice cheaper to build a hotel/resort or residence in the Bahamas and even much cheaper in St. Lucia and Dominica. So where does the investor build? On a location where it is more practicable!
Service is first on any destination. The willingness of the workers to serve, go the extra mile to make that visitor’s stay a memorable one. And it’s the little things. A daily smile from workers and locals goes a very long way to make a visitors stay a memorable one.
Assistance with directions on the road; patience with a tourist who takes a wrong turn on a city road or feels lost on a country road; a service station that offers air pumps that work or a police officer who is knowledgeable of a foreign language or destination and public transportation that is available to both workers and tourist at least until midnight.
On Antigua, for example, public (or should I say, private bus transportation) going anywhere east on the island is the worse I have seen. There is a need for government transportation to service that area, especially for hotel and shift workers.
The chicken and egg question!
Which comes first, the airlift into a destination or the hotel rooms? Any airline executive will tell you that the hotel rooms must come first. Once the destination has the rooms, the airlines will move the visitors and bring them to your island.
Government needs to hire the correct people in the tourism service related departments. The idea of wanting the tourist dollar, but not the tourist is a very bad inkling. Persons involved in tourism must be willing to serve at every level, not just behind a desk. Not just attending trade shows or attending meetings overseas.
They must be aware of the needs to improve the product, be able to have discussions with stakeholders, investors and have a propensity for improvement and an appreciation for growth. In fact, the best candidates for top jobs are ones who started in the hotel/service industry as a junior and worked up the ranks. They have a better appreciation.
Government ministers must be able to discuss development with developers, meet with cruise ship operators to see and understand their needs. These Government officeholders must be more than just bureaucrats or pen pushers. They have to be proactive and knowledgeable enough to live outside the box.
A bureau is a desk. We don’t need desk officers in tourism. We need go getters and innovators.
Persons involved in the control of money laundering in the Caribbean need to know how to detect legitimate funding and cash movement. Cash transfers from Bank to Bank are the simplest method, because banks do their due diligence. If these persons are not aware of banking policies and money transfer requirements, then we are doomed, because their actions can dissuade prime investors.
Investors and investments
In a previous article on investment, I mentioned that the locals have to have the confidence to break away from providing poor services or buildings that are tasteless and run down. We have to take example from the foreign developers. When they plan a project, it takes years of research, planning and then development. They engage consultants in all aspects of the field for guidance, accountants and financiers for monetarist advice.
Investors, lenders and JV partners require all documentation, from executive summary to business plan to feasibility studies. Those are services that incur pre-construction cost, but they are guidelines to all developers and ultimately, the money lenders. But, as we know, most Caribbean people with money hate to spend their money among their own people, so they seek foreign intervention, but cannot express their investment intentions. So they pay a consultant a few dollars for a 6 page documents to seek US $5million from a lender or investors.
It comes to them as a surprise when their request is rejected. Serious investors deal only with serious knowledgeable business persons. So we have to be prepared to make an impression on any investor or lender. The product must be one that will serve a purpose and bring a good ROI. According to the MoonBay Group, there are many investors and Joint Venture Partners the world over, and once the projects meets the required investment standard, they will invest. There will be incurred cost, but as the saying goes, to make money, one has to spend money.
Most of all, public acceptance, a variation of activities and services will aid in making any destination an attraction. People need to be able to make any visitor feel at home, regardless to how short the visit. We have to be able interact.
In the Bahamas for example, any Bahamian can afford to stay at any hotel on any Family Island (within the Chain) with no exception or rejection. That needs to happen in the Caribbean. That allows for that process of interacting with visitors and learning about each other’s lifestyle and culture.
We want large bodies of visitors, conferences and reunions are the way to go. So we need more convention type hotels.
Security has been and will always remain a major issue. Having a session of the Police Force deal with tourist/visitors issues should be a high priority services, providing speedy responses and solutions. The officers must be multi-lingual, people friendly and have a feeling for dealing with situations in a way that makes the visitor comfortable.
It has to be someone who knows some history of the country/destination and also capable of giving directions.
Lastly, culture and by that, I mean tasteful shows must be introduced. Carnival is a one year activity and many islands have their carnival. Again, if we look at the Bahamas, they have Junkanoo at Christmas time. That is their form of carnival which is unique to the islands. They created a hand musical instrument called the ‘Kalik,’ which is also the name of the local beer. No one goes to the Bahamas, without a visit to Atlantis on Paradise Island. That is a main attraction and nobody wants to visit the islands and leave out that feature. Dominica has the Hot Water Springs, Water Falls and just the rain forest. Those are main attractions. And in line with annual activities, there is the World Creole Festival.
The spin off from these attractions and activities allow for more word of mouth sales and more visitors. But we have to be ready, Tourism Ready!
EDITOR’S NOTE: Joseph Doway is part of MoonBay Group and has a B.Sc. in hotel and restaurant management.
