The finale of the 2022 Crop Over Festival takes place over this long weekend and there is no doubt that it has been an important boost for thousands operating in the creative industries and those whose businesses depend heavily on the related activities.The fact that even a remarkable 10.5 per cent economic growth in Barbados over the first six months of 2022 was not enough to erase the catastrophic contraction during the near three years of pandemic slump, explains just how bad things had become.But as we have tried to explain on many occasions through these editorial pages, Barbados’ economic pillars are very interrelated, and we often rise or fall on activity in the dominant tourism sector.Yes, we are cognizant of the need to diversify the Barbados economy. It is critical that we do, however, in the meantime, debt has to be serviced, foreign exchange has to be earned, social services have to be provided to our people, and our children need to be educated.And so, every foreign dollar generated from tourism, travel, entertainment, cultural activities, and heritage tourism, is extremely valuable to our continued survival as a small developing nation.