Boosting sports tourism

The England-West Indies Test and One- Day International series have demonstrated the revenue potential for regional sports tourism. The economies of several Caribbean States — Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Guyana, Antigua, St Lucia and Grenada — in which Test and/or One-Day Internationals were scheduled have benefited collectively by millions of dollars in foreign (and/or regional) exchange earnings. For example, some 8,000 Britons were estimated to have flown in from the United Kingdom for the Test match in Barbados, while thousands travelled to each of the other Caricom countries in which Tests and ODI’s were played. In addition, thousands of Trinidadians and Tobagonians, Jamaicans, Barbadians, Guyanese, Antiguans, St Lucians and Grenadians criss-crossed the region to attend matches at the several venues.

In turn, there were Caribbean-born cricket enthusiasts, domiciled in the United States and Canada, who flew in for one or more of the matches. Together, the British and Caribbean cricket lovers would have spent millions, whether in British pounds, United States, TT, Barbadian, Eastern Caribbean, Jamaican and/or Guyanese dollars on air fares, hotel accommodation, airport transfers, transport within individual countries, telephone calls, e-mails, tickets to matches, entertainment, food, souvenirs and alcoholic and other beverages.  There are other events which, if effectively marketed, will be able to generate sizeable regional spectator interest, criss crossing and exchange earnings. The 2004 Angostura Sail Week, which will be held at Store Bay, Tobago, from May 9 to 15 has attracted boats and spectators from the United States, the United Kingdom, the Caribbean, Europe and Canada. The Tobago Great Race; Trinidad and Tobago’s quest for a place in World Cup 2006 (football); the Hampton Games and the annual marathon can be, increasingly, major attractions for regional and foreign sports lovers.

These can be in addition to the ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007, regional cricket and regional football. A revival of the Intra-Regional College Contests which saw teams from Harrison College, Barbados, and later Lodge School and Combermere School, competing with Queen’s Royal College for several decades from 1909 in cricket, football and athletics, if revived and expanded to include other secondary schools can attract crowds to the turnstiles. The critical ingredient for the attracting of Caribbean and foreign persons to attend any or all of the above and other events will clearly be the extent of marketing by the organisers as well as that of TIDCO, the Ministry of Sports and where relevant, the Tobago House of Assembly.
In addition, there must be the willingness on the part of hoteliers and guest house owners to offer competitive package deals.