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“We are in a
fortunate position to be first with such a product . . . crew member
experiences and recommendations have a tremendous impact on the actions of
passengers.”
(Rovell
Morris, Manager Bridgetown Cruise Terminal.)
______________________________
2002, November 30:
Barbados is initiating a new idea which it hopes will stimulate additional
spending from cruise ship calls, according to reports in the Barbados news.
The country is targeting cruise ship crew spending, an innovative idea in an
industry which seems only to be interested in passenger spending.
According to a story by Bernard Babb, Barbados will be the first to
introduce a discount card for crew members.
The
discount card is valid for a year and is being given free of charge to all
crew members. The US$20 value includes $10 for phone, $6 for Internet and $4
for mailbox privileges. It also entitles members to discounts ranging from
five to 50 per cent at various stores and operations across the country.
This includes taxi rides and rounds of golf.
The
report stated: "The US$20 crew discount card was officially launched last
week as a joint effort between the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA), the
Bridgetown Cruise Terminal, the Barbados Port Authority and other local
partners.
"Around 300 000 crew members visit the island yearly on the major cruise
lines and tourism executives believe the new card would help the destination
to capture a previously overlooked niche."
The
report quotes Rovell Morris, manager of the Bridgetown Cruise Terminal, as
saying: “We are in a fortunate position to be first with such a product .
. . crew member experiences and recommendations have a tremendous impact on
the actions of passengers.”
"Morris, who along with Roseanne Myers and the National Cruise Committee,
carried the discount card from idea to reality said he believed it could
turn-out to be very beneficial to the destination.
"Already, such services as telecommunications, taxis and banking facilities
are heavily used by visiting crew members and traffic is expected to get
considerably higher going into the peak cruise-ship season."
Minister of Tourism Noel Lynch, who attended the official launch at the
port, was said to have described the card initiative as a "positive
development for Barbados" and said he hoped that by embracing crew members,
they (crew) would become new ambassadors for Barbados.
According to the report, the launch was also attended by executives of the
Miami-based Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association who were in the island for
talks with local cruise-tourism officials.
MORE SERIOUS
Mr. Lynch said his ministry, in association with
various partners, intended to focus on cruise-tourism in a more serious way
and a director of cruise tourism, based at the BTA, would soon be named.
He
also said initiatives were moving along to establish Barbados as a home port
to cruise lines. The idea of home port, the minister said, would ensure a
greater link between land-based and cruise tourism, whereby cruise
passengers would also be seen as potential hotel stays.
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