TOURISM

SPORTS
2014
LETS PLAY OUR PART
TOURISM IS OUR BUSINESS
BARBADOS TODAY
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Coordinated by:
David Williams
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Coordinated by:
David Williams
Page 39 www.barbadostoday.bb 30/05/14
on the full impact the Top Gear motor sports weekend made on
vacationing in Barbados, but what is certain is that the efect
is positive and it can potentially alter the face of the islands
tourism.
Arguably years will go by before anyone can properly quantify,
in terms of the numbers of visitors and dollars and cents, exactly
what the Top Gear festival did for Barbados. The chief reason is
because the thousands who came here specifcally for that 17 -
18 May weekend festival to join the thousands, already visiting,
at Bushy Park represent a mere fraction of the millions of TV
viewers around the world who, may decide that Barbados is
the place be for their next vacation.
For motor heads, that decision may be easier since
for the next three years Top Gear will have a home in
Barbados. Just days after the festival, Tourism Minister,
Richard Sealy disclosed that the Barbados Tourism
Authority (BTA) had signed a three-year contract with
the producers of the Top Gear Festival for future events.
Speaking through the government media, the minister said
hosting the festival on an annual basis was a realistic expectation
since it was the frst time that the Top Gear festival was held in
the Western Hemisphere.
This is the frst of what will be three editions in the frst instance.
It is interesting to note, however, that producers of the festival
have already started to suggest that they would like to see it as
an annual event which happens elsewhere, Sealy underlined.
Top Gear is tremendously popular and that goes without
saying in terms of what we can get from the festival. But, since
we have had the head start and we have an exclusive [contract]
for three years, we have to make sure that the event goes so
wonderful that it would make them want to make it an annual
event, Mr. Sealy emphasised.
He said more work is still to be done on the redeveloped
Bushy Park Racing Circuit for it to be, the Mecca for
the region and viewed as one of the fnest places to
Barbados may become
a Top Gear home
have motor sports in the world. I think we have to have
that kind of vision in mind and we are on the way there.
There is no limit to what we can do for Barbados through the
motor sports/tourism fusion which we want to develop. We
have been at it for a whilewe have had the June rally and
we used to have the Bushy Park event, I think in October, but
now we can take it to an entirely diferent level, he added
He said that globally, nothing stands out like motor
sports, adding that with the more than 3,000 spectators
who came into the island for the event one could move
big numbers in the staging of motor sports events.
We are open to business. We cannot do Formula 1 here because
the track is not up to that standard. But we can do just about anything
else. The Red Bull Global Rallycross opening event for the 2014
season is being held here, the defending champion is hereKen
Block is a legend in that feld That is an amazing accomplishment.
That tells you that if we can get Global Rally Cross here, imagine
when we fnish Bushy Park what we can possibly get here.
British Ambassador, Victoria Dean, also chimed in with praises for
Barbados hosting of the event.
From the United Kingdoms perspective, bringing Top Gear here
is a genius idea. You can tell from the buzz around the island, the
fact that you could not get a rental car on the weekendeven the
people that actually attended on either day had a really fantastic
feeling about it and it is absolutely to the credit of Barbados that
you have decided to make this happen and to bring it here.
Sports Minister, Stephen Lashley, pointed out that the
development of sports tourism in Barbados can be a private/
public sector partnership. We have been able through Top Gear
to have a private sector investment focus where they actually
retook Bushy Park and were able to transform it into a facility that
allowed for Top Gear to come. Without that, we couldnt host Top
Gear.
While motor sports tourism continues building on the boost
of Top Gear, Lashley has begun speaking about other track
events, mentioning plans to redevelop the National Stadium. A
modern stadium means that we can attract many more events
to Barbados. Our sports calendar is very packed not only in
relation to the usual track and feld [events], but cycling has a
tremendously tight schedule. So, I would be hard pressed to see
the stadium not being utilised, he added.
The Jury Is Out
Page 40 www.barbadostoday.bb 30/05/14
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LETS PLAY OUR PART
30/05/14 Page 41
This assertion can be found in the White Paper on the
development of tourism in Barbados, prepared by
Strategic Solutions Inc, for the Government of Barbados,
and approved in October, 2012.
Within its holistic examination of Barbados tourism and
areas needed for development this document, naturally
Sports Tourism came up for critical examination.
The following are extracts from
the Papers fndings on Sports
Tourism:
It has a long history of sporting excellence, as numerous
world class athletes in several disciplines, particularly
cricket, have put the island on the world sporting map.
There are currently over 60 disciplines of sports practised
on the island. This makes the island a prime candidate
to be a viable and successful sports tourism destination.
With this strong base, the development of sports tourism
is one of the primary strategies being undertaken by the
Government to bolster the Barbadian economy, especially
during the tough periods
in the tourism season.
Barbados boasts the
legacy of hosting a
number of world class
sports events over the
last fve years. Such
events have included
the 2006 PGA World
Golf Championships,
the 2007 ICC Cricket
World Cup Finals, the
2010 Sentebale charity
polo match with Prince
Harry of Wales, Tennis
Pon De Rock featuring
Serena Williams and
Caroline Wozniacki in
2009 and Venus Williams
and Victoria Azarenka
and Gael Montfls and
John Isner in 2011, the
2010 Fireball World
Sailing Championships,
The Cricket Legends of
Barbados International
(CLOBI) Cup World
Barbados is an island which has sports in its -DNA.
A prime Sports
Tourism candidate
Masters Tournament and the ICC Twenty20 Cricket Finals in
2010. This year, Barbados also hosted the inaugural Football
Legends Invitational Tournament 2011, which saw football stars
from several Premier League Clubs in action. One of the major
benefts of the sports tourism thrust is the added bonus of
harnessing the charitable spirit of international clubs and teams
that come to provide specifc community coaching programmes,
for example, this occurred with Chelsea Football and the Dallas
Mavericks basketball teams.
Major world class
sporting events, are
important tourist attractions that can bring long lasting benefts
to a host city in terms of infrastructure improvements and
increased tourism. These types of events provide a huge one-
of opportunity to showcase Barbados to an unprecedented
number of visitors, and to persuade a signifcant proportion of
the planets watching population that
theyd like to visit the island in the
short to medium term. These types of
events do not just attract athletes and
fans to Barbados, but also provide an
opportunity for Barbados to expose
the countrys other visitor attractions
its rich heritage, vibrant culture and
beautiful land and seascapes to a
captive world audience.
Success in these endeavours will
require the upgrading and ongoing
maintenance of all sporting facilities.
The facilities for Polo and Golf are
typically world class and exemplify
the quality of product that is desired.
However, the biggest threat to the
development of the Sports tourism
niche is the unsatisfactory quality of
the various sports facilities on the
island. This is afecting the islands
capacity to be a summer training
base, or host more world class
tournaments and events, particularly
in the areas of cricket, hockey, tennis,
swimming and horse racing.
Page 42 www.barbadostoday.bb 30/05/14
Cricket is the premier sport on the island. The iconic
Kensington Oval was transformed into an ultra modern
facility for the Cricket World Cup 2007. However, seating
capacity was reduced from 28,000 to just over 12,000.
This limits promoters in advertising the facility for hosting,
particularly soccer teams, because of the limited seating
capacity and the high cost associated with bringing a
high-end soccer team. Also, in order to sustain the demand
and persuade the English County Cricket teams to come
to Barbados as a preferred training destination, cricket
clubs will have to improve the condition of the grounds
to an acceptable level similar to that in some of Barbados
competing destinations like South Africa, Sri Lanka and
Australia. The island is in need of a modern soccer facility
and a proper turf facility for hockey with adequate seating
capacity. For example, the island has been losing many of
its schools and clubs from the international markets due to
the lack of adequate hockey facilities.
Barbados has tremendous potential to capitalize on the
lucrative sports tourism niche. This will require better
collaboration and more efective synergies between the
relevant sporting entities such as the Ministry of Sports, the
National Sports Council, the Barbados Olympic Association,
Kensington Oval Management Inc., the University of the
West Indies, the Barbados Tennis Association and other
relevant local sporting associations, along with the BTA.
The upgrading of sports facilities to the required standard
on the island also has to take place as a matter of priority.
Investment in the upgrade or construction of new facilities
will have to be sourced and partnerships forged between
the private and public sectors.
Cricket is the premier sport
on the island.
30/05/14 www.barbadostoday.bb Page 43
REMAINING 2014 TOURI
Sports Calendar
May
31- Motorsport, Sol Rally Barbados
- Rugby, Guyana vs Trinidad, the Garrison
- Polo, Presidents / Kearns Trophy, Holders
June
01- Football, British Airways Football Legends
Invitational Tournament
06 - Football, 6th Banks Barbados international
Masters Football
09 (Whit Monday) - Swimming, Barbados Open Water Classic,
Accra Brownes Beach
13 - Swimming, Junior Stroke Swim Splash
14 - Horse Racing, the Garrison
- Watersports, Surng, Parlour
18 - Sailing, Caribbean J24 Open Championship
21- Sailing, Lucky Horseshoe J24 and Offshore Regatta
28 - Horse Racing, the Garrison, Barbados Fillies Guineas
July
05- Cricket, Sir Gareld Sobers International Schools Cricket
Tournament
- Horse Racing, the Garrison
- Sailing, Harris Paints J24 and Offshore Regatta
06- Cricket, Caribbean Premier League Cricket,
Kensington Oval
13- Sailing, Barbados Cruising Club Regatta
19 - Horse Racing, the Garrison
August
01- Horse Racing, the Garrison
- Watersports, Surng competition
09- Horse Racing, United Insurance Derby Day, the Garrison
24 - Hockey, Banks International Hockey Festival
30- Horse Racing, the Garrison
September
05 to 06- Watersports, Surng - Bathsheba Soup Bowl
- Motorsport, Motor Racing
05 - Golf, United Barbados Open 2014
07- Sailing, National Dingy Championships
12- Tennis, Barbados Makes Davis Cup Tennis history,
13- Horse Racing, the Garrison
20- Watersports, Surng at Sand Bank
21- Sailing, National Dingy Championships
October
04- Combat Sports, Pan American Judo Cup
05- Combat Sports, Barbados International Judo Tournament
- Sailing, National Dingy Championships
07- Watersports, SUPing around Barbados with Brian Talma
11- Watersports, Surng Nationals
19- Sailing, National Dingy Championships
25- Sailing, J24 Match Raching Championships
- CLOBI LOBI Cup World Masters Tournament, Kensington
29- Swimming, Swim Festival
November
Page 44 www.barbadostoday.bb 30/05/14
IST MAGNETS
01- Darts, Darts Festival (/events/darts/2014/november/
dartsfestival)
- Track and Field, Nation Fun Walk
- Cricket, The CLOBI Cup International Master Cricket
- Watersports, Independence Pro Surng Championships
- Motorsport, Motor Racing
- Darts, Brydens Barbados Darts Festival
- Volleyball, Sizzling Sands Beach Volleyball, Brighton Beach
- Combat Sports, Barbados Karate Association National
Tournament
02- Sailing, National Dinghy Championships
December
05 to 07- Run Barbados ( www.runbarbados.org)
30/05/14 www.barbadostoday.bb Page 45
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30/05/14 www.barbadostoday.bb Page 46