ATTENDEES were transported to the eastern Caribbean island to sample a taste of what a holiday tto Barbados can offer.
Following stops in Cardiff and Bristol, Barbados Tourism concluded its south coast tour at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on Wednesday, September 26.
Hotel owners, a mixologist and a chef along with the director of UK and Ireland and the senior business development officer from Barbados Tourism were at the event to sell their country as a holiday destination to a selction of travel and retail agents.
The United Kingdom is the biggest source of market for the eastern Caribbean island which became a republic within the Commonwealth in 2021. The island, that’s 21 miles long and 14 miles wide, boasts more than 500 independent restaurants.
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Having an in-person tour allows travel agents to sample to find out more about the holidays they are selling. Guests were offered a variety of classic Bajan dishes to try from sea food to mac and cheese to a deconstructed sauce along with rum based cocktails.
Chairman of the intimate hotels of Barbados, Mahmood Patel, said: “Event like these are a post covid reality. It’s a way to reconnect with the market and manage expectations.
“We’re known as a place of sun, sea and sand but we want to be known as much more as that like our environmental focus.”
Jayanne Hicks, from the Crystal Cove hotel collection, added: “It’s good for people to actually see the people and the hotels behind the holiday. Everybody here knows the island so well and they are all so proud of it.”
The senior business development officer of Barbados Tourism, Lennon Chandler, led a presentation of the culinary capital’s events, attractions and hotel options before live demonstrations from mixologist David Barker and chef Javon Cummins, established names in the Barbados culinary world.
Both the chef and mixologist will play integral parts in the country’s Food and Rum festival taking place in the Barbados capital city, Bridgetown from October 27 to October 30.
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Director of UK and Ireland Barbados Tourism, Cheryl Carter, said: “We’re the birthplace of rum. Mount Gay rum, founded in 1703, is the oldest rum in the world so we say it is the rum that invented rum.
“Food is one of our biggest differentiators, the other thing that people say to us in every exit survey is that they love the people and they come back time and time again because there’s that sense of welcome and warmth.
“This area is very important to us, a lot of our business comes from here. Many of the cruise lines that will port in Barbados during the winter are also based in Southampton.
“Ninety per cent of the hotel business comes from the United Kingdom. Even though we’re now a republic and have been independent for more than 55 years, Barbados has very strong historical ties to the UK.
“Being part of the Commonwealth, we all speak English, we have a lot of the same traditions, history and heritage. Lots of familiar ties so people feel comfortable here.”
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