AS a tourist destination, Barbados has reached the stage where it is imperative for the island, like other mature destination, to find ways of keeping up with a constantly changing tourism climate. This was emphasised in the BARBADOS STATUS REPORT that was put out by the Nation Publishing Company Ltd in the September 25 edition of the Sunday Sun.

The report quoted former Minister of Tourism Wes Hall as saying, ". . . we will not try to compete with other destinations purely on the basis of low prices, as some of our competitors do, but on the basis of quality and value for money. In short Barbados will have to continuously improve the quality for services delivered to visitors at each and every single level."

Clearly Barbados needs to do more than lure visitors to the island. The basis of visitor arrivals should only be a numbers game at the bottom line where it counts. Therefore, it can be argued that since quality of service and value for money are the planks on which future tourism development will be pegged, then the present tourism product needs to be enhanced.

The golf-playing tourist is key to this tourism growth and it is such a visitor that the controversial multi-million dollar courses that are to be built are geared towards. Tourism development here has reached the point where it has become necessary for planners to recognise that the product needs some measure of diversification. Europeans and North Americans no longer have reason to come here for sea and sun -- it can be had elsewhere.

Quality Golf is the sort of support activity that a mature destination like Barbados needs at this time, and which would only serve to enhance the image of the country's as a quality destination. Already work has started on Westmoreland golf course and it is anybody's guess when some soil will turn at Kingsland and Bushy Park. But developers say they will feature prominently in future tourism expansion.

The Government is clearly on the side of golf course developers and has demonstrated this by making allowances for concessions worth millions. In August Government announced several concessions to Thornbrook, the developers of the golf course at Kingsland. These mainly relate to customs duty, stamp duty and consumption tax. Exemptions have been given on all building materials, equipment, supplies, vehicles and even furnishings.

No doubt many hoteliers would themselves wish for similar considerations, but no one appears to be knocking on their doors with hand outs. However, it is understood that the concessions are in keeping with what pertains in neighbouring islands including Jamaica, St. Kitts/ Nevis and even St. Lucia.

Even though it is recognised that championship golf courses can enhance a mature destination like Barbados, there are whispers in the corridors that the island is moving too far too fast in this regard. No other Caribbean island, one regional tourism planner told this writer, is moving at the speed Barbados has been going at in the development of golf courses.

He points out that St. Lucia, which many feel is now the destination of choice in the Caribbean, and the one that offers the most competition for Barbados, has not moved towards golf tourism in a big way.

"I agree that golf tourism would be good for Barbados but building so many golf courses now is going a bit too far," he said. "It's too much too soon."

But what do you say to people who rightfully argue that Bermuda has 10 courses and tourist arrivals there has not seen the sharp decreases in visitor arrivals?

"It must be kept in mind that the courses in Bermuda were built over a 25 year period and not all at one time so as to put undue stress on the environment," the regional tourism official added.

While there is some basis for such observation, there are also some facts that should not go without notice. Surveys by travel publications have showed that golfers are at the top end of the tourist market with estimated income of in excess of US $70 000 per annum. And Americans as well as Europeans are avid golfers and will travel to play the sport.