Officials of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) are worried that the crime situation and the continued lack of ease in doing business are among the problems that could easily hamper the chances of a full resuscitation of the tourism industry.Chairman of the BHTA Renée Coppin has therefore called on authorities to take urgent steps “to get on top of the challenges that are within our control”, as she highlighted that the industry was also facing threats from the impact of extra-regional issues such as geopolitical instability, the war in Ukraine, fluctuating currencies and rising inflation.Speaking at a BHTA press conference at the Courtyard by Marriott on Thursday, she said while the level of crime against tourists continued to be minuscule, the growing “intrusion” of criminal elements into communities across the island was a concern for industry operators.
