WORKATIONS

With the coronavirus pandemic causing unprecedented losses in the tourism industry, a Bajan entrepreneur struck upon a solution – to appeal to the rapidly increasing number of people now working from home. Will you join the beach office revolution?

Words: Tirshatha Jeffrey

LEFT & BELOW: Barbados Work Stampers Charmel Sippio, and Connie Malloy & family

The man with a plan – Bajan engineer Peter Thompsom

Barbados usually attracts visitors who want to swim or surf at one of its many pristine beaches, eat and party in world-famous spots like Oistins and St Lawrence Gap, and explore natural wonders such as Harrison’s Cave. However, the coronavirus pandemic abruptly fettered the island’s booming tourism industry.

This left officials searching for ways to make up for an estimated US$1.1 billion in lost tourism revenue caused by worldwide lockdowns and travel restrictions. Enter local engineer and entrepreneur Peter Thompson.

In April 2020, Thompson penned a blog called ‘Barbados beyond tourism’. In it, he opined that rather than working towards rebuilding the traditional tourism market, the government should focus on attracting overseas visitors from a quickly expanding, lucrative sector: remote working. He asserted that doing so would not only recoup lost revenue but also surpass the country’s customary tourism earnings.

A representative from the government’s Jobs and Investment Council invited Thompson to submit a memo outlining his plan. He did and “eight weeks later”, he recounts, “[Prime Minister Mia Mottley] said the government was going to implement my idea.”