Tourism and sporting officials are upbeat about the economic spinoffs for Barbados from hosting the upcoming Finals and eight other matches of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in June.
The ICC on Friday confirmed that cricket’s Caribbean Mecca – Kensington Oval – will host the coveted title decider on June 29. It is the third time Barbados would be home to a cricket World Cup final which officials hailed as a seal of approval for the island as a world-class destination.
Hoteliers are particularly optimistic about hosting Group B which includes England, Barbados’ main tourism market. The English are to play Scotland on June 4 and face Australia on June 8 at Kensington.
Tourism and hotel industry figures have told Barbados TODAY they are excited that the tournament coincides with the island’s slower summer season.
“We are excited about the fact that this is an opportunity for us to extend our traditional summer season,” said Renee Coppin, the chairman of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA). “June is traditionally one of our slower months. And having the English group here in particular, and the players; we all know the relationship between Barbados and England, there is tremendous opportunity for Barbados. And we anticipate it should give us a well-needed bump during that period.”
Coppin attributed Barbados’ ability to attract a third World Cup final to its being a quality destination.
She said: “It’s the quality of service and the delivery of the experience that we give here. Along with the service, I think if you are looking holistically at all the factors, including the menu itself, I think that Barbados would be definitely one of the top contenders.”
Secretary of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) Gregory Nicholls gave an emotional reaction to this country winning a third bid to host a final.
He was lost for words as he sought to categorise the achievement that he, too, expects will benefit Barbados across the board.
“This is fantastic news for the country of Barbados, the economy of Barbados and the game of cricket in Barbados,” he told Barbados TODAY on Friday.
He explained that the bids submitted by the government were supported by the BCA and Kensington Oval Inc (KOMI), the state-owned operator of the famed cricket stadium.
“All the packages that we bid for were successful,” said Nicholls. “But you would note that we have the first round of all of the England matches. We also have a number of Super Six games and also the final. All the bids were successful. This is fantastic news. This is eight World Cup matches with the English in Barbados for that period of time. That is fantastic news for all the tourism operators and people who depend on the tourist sector.
“We know that June is normally a very slow period and this is a welcomed fillip to the tourism sector and will do a lot for the Barbados economy.”
The BCA secretary underscored that Barbados received the “exact” package for which it bid as he sought to portray the development as a ringing endorsement of Barbados.
Nicholls said: “This goes to show that we should have more confidence in ourselves to host international events of this nature, we should not doubt our capacity and ability to compete. You would see from these bids that there were four US cities that also bid for these events, and the ICC, in its selection of Barbados, gave us the exact package that we aimed for. [It] shows that we can execute this process well.”
He also pointed out that Barbados now has less than six months in which to get everything right to host the games and to maintain the “fantastic” reputation that the country enjoys.
“The competitive advantages that we have in terms of our hotel infrastructure and plant, the restaurants, the venues and attractions across Barbados, the warmth of Barbadian hospitality, the iconic places like Oistins, Harrisons Cave, the beaches…all are significant competitive advantages that we have among the rest of the Caribbean,” the BCA official declared.
Regarding preparations for the tournament, Nicholls highlighted the collaborative effort involving the government, BCA, and the tournament’s local organising committee, emphasising the need for support in areas like security and immigration.
He said: “A lot of it is the responsibility of the managers of the facility at Kensington Oval. This is an all-country effort. You can’t put on a World Cup by the BCA alone. So the local organising committee would be spearheaded by the government entities that took over the operations of the bidding and partnership with the BCA and KOMI.
“So, this is not a BCA endeavour. The specifications of the ICC in relation to international tournaments require local organising committees…. You can’t put this thing together without the government giving certain guarantees. Certain things as they relate to security, immigration and moving between the countries in a seamless way, all of these require support and effort outside of the BCA.”
‘Sportainment’ – the term to describe the combination of sport and entertainment – will continue to be a major plank of the World Cup experience in Barbados, said Nicholls.
But he contended that the real icing on the cake would be if the West Indies were to take the T20 World Cup title on home soil.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mia Mottley said Barbados’ selection to host the T20 World Cup Final is “nothing short of a privilege and an honour”.
“It is a historic moment for our country as well, as this will be the third global cricketing final Kensington Oval has hosted, confirming its place among the world’s premiere sporting venues. As a Government, we believe this is a testament to the high level of organisation Barbados has displayed throughout the years, having hosted the 2007 Men’s Cricket World Cup Final and the 2010 Men’s T20 World Cup Final. It is equally a reflection of the fact that cricket is intrinsically linked to the identity of Barbados. Quite simply, it is in our DNA,” she said in a statement after the announcement.
“Over the coming months, we will continue to work with all stakeholders, in and outside of the sporting arena, to ensure the thousands of fans who gather here from across the world experience a safe, enjoyable and successful tournament and final.”
A total of six Caribbean venues and three in the United States will be used for the 29-day tournament as the groups and fixtures for the ninth edition of the 20-over showcase were confirmed by the ICC on Friday. Forty-one matches will be played in the Caribbean with the semi-finals in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. Also see Page 19.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb
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