CARIBBEAN/BARBADOS: Cruise ships could cause hotels serious problems

Parle: Ships could cause hotels serious problems
- Monday 07, July-2003

IF ALLOWED to operate totally unregulated the cruise sector will have a 
devastating effect on land-based tourism, especially the hotel sector and the 
environment. 
Caribbean Hotelier of the Year, Berthia Parle, made this charge as the 
discussion By Land Or Sea surfaced during the Caribbean Hotel Industry 
Conference (CHIC) in Punta Cana. 

“The operators of this industry continue to play the game of divide and rule, 
and heaven help any Government who dares to think about increasing the head 
tax by $US2 to US$5. The answer is usually a ‘pull out’ from that particular 
country,” Parle told a group of mainly hoteliers, at the conference location, 
Bavaro Conference Centre, Barcelo Hotels. 

In her opening remarks as moderator Parle, president-elect of the Caribbean 
Hotel Association, (CHA) stressed that the cruise sector continued to 
flourish and grow at an unprecedented rate, due largely to its tax-free 
status and the free ride it enjoys on the back of hotels. 

The CHA first vice-president said hotels provide 92 per cent of the Caribbean 
tourism revenue – far in excess of the cruise industry’s contribution. 

Parle contended that: l they refused to contribute to the regional marketing 
campaign or any joint marketing initiatives. 


l they refused to pay the environmental levy that all land based hotels had 
no choice but to pay; and l they continue to make exorbitant profits (one 
billion plus annually) with very little contribution to the social 
programmess on island, except a few toys at Christmas, beach clean ups, 
painting of some homes for the elderly, and donations to charitable 
organisations. 

She added: “We must follow Bermuda’s example and insist on the hiring of more 
Caribbean nationals; a contribution of 1.5 million annually to an education 
fund; some $30 vouchers to be distributed to every cruise passenger to be 
spent ashore in the local businesses environment; no more than three ships in 
port at any one time, and a head tax of US$60 per passenger should be 
charged.”. 

Stating that the Caribbean accounts for 50 per cent of the world’s cruise 
market, and that cruise tourism “is the only industry in the world in which 
the Caribbean is the dominant market”, Parle stated that profits from cruise 
ship tourism were repatriated to the origin countries of the cruise liners, 
as there was no Caribbean ownership of cruise ships or facilities. 

“Ownership of cruise liners is concentrated in a small number of European and 
United States companies who can use their market power as leverage in their 
negotiations with Caribbean destinations, to pay minimal taxes. 

“Furthermore, there is little regional value added or local employment 
created from cruise ship operations in the Caribbean. In fact, some anecdotal 
evidence suggests that some cruise ship operators have been unwilling to deal 
with Caribbean service suppliers in some of the region’s markets.” 


Source: Barbados Daily Nation, 07 July 2003