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It’s time we started
talking about Barbados’
brand. Yes, that’s right.
Its brand.
THE SENSES ISSUE
Let’s say Carmen’s hideout is also home to some
of the world’s finest hotels, warm, friendly
people and fresh, delicious foods? Now could
you find Carmen? Maybe she’s in Jamaica. Or
maybe, Saint Lucia? St. Barths? The Bahamas?
Hawaii?? Where on earth is Carmen Sandiego?
The fact is, while a warm climate, beautiful
beaches and hospitable people might be our
claim to fame, they don’t distinguish us much
from other islands or other similar destinations.
These days, tourists have their pick of countries
to choose from, which means Barbados needs
to bring a little something extra to the table.
What makes us special? What makes us Bajan?
And not just what makes us ‘Bajan’, but what
makes us so damn Bajan that anyone, anywhere in
the world would be able to see it and immediately
think “Barbados. I need to go there”? It’s time
we started talking about Barbados’ brand.
With tourism making up a huge chunk of
GDP for many of the world’s economies, many
countries, particularly developing ones, are
turning to “destination-branding” or “nation-
branding” to help boost their country’s image.
In 2018, the age of travel blogs and Instagram
posts, it is more important than ever for us to first
have a clear idea of what makes Barbados special,
and then show it off in the best possible light.