Over the past several years, Barbados has failed to capitalise on the lucrative advantages of heritage tourism.And if Professor Sir Henry Fraser had his way, more investment would be made to develop this aspect of the island’s tourism product, which he said had great potential to significantly increase the industry’s profits.On Monday during a webinar to mark the 70th anniversary of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) Fraser said that multiple studies across the world showed that tourists travelling for heritage reasons spent significantly more time and money than the average visitor and he was concerned that Barbados’ rich culture and heritage were not seen as worthy of build-out.This fact was being ignored “at our peril”, he said.“It is so important the economic advantages of heritage tourism . . . and yet for 20 years we (Barbados National Trust) have been preaching this and we are still not accepting its potential. Let’s say a little bit about the cultural heritage, the built heritage. These things are so important . . .”Fraser said he was also concerned that the tourism product was not pushed through the consulates, as other countries did, adding that there was room for improvement in the way the product was marketed.“You cannot go to Paris without walking away with a trophy of the Eiffel Tower, you cannot go to New York without something of the Statue of Liberty . . .,” he said.
