by Basil Springer
“After which he informed them, ‘Go into all of the world and preach the Good Information to everybody.’” – Mark 16:15
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados | The upcoming ICC T20 Males’s Cricket World Cup, scheduled for June 1-29, 2024, transcends mere sporting competitors. It stands as a pivotal world occasion fostering worldwide dialogue, cultural exchanges, and broadening financial alternatives, together with important avenues for tourism development.
Within the Caribbean, cricket just isn’t merely a sport; it’s a foundational element of our cultural heritage, id and worldwide acclaim. This match, with its intensive world viewership (some say there are 2.5 billion cricket followers) and media publicity, affords a rare alternative to current the Caribbean not solely as a hospitable venue (alongside the U.S.) but additionally as a area vibrant with range, dynamism and unity. This event is a testomony to our area’s capability to prepare and execute world-class occasions.
Andrew Mason’s radio program “Mason & Visitor”, airing on Barbados’ VOB FM 92.9 on Tuesdays, supplies thorough analyses of West Indies Cricket. It contains a world panel that updates listeners on varied elements, together with preparations and logistics for the World Cup, throughout 10 venues within the Caribbean and the U.S.
The World Cup will draw groups, followers, media and world officers, who will immerse themselves not solely within the video games but additionally within the distinctive cultural and pure experiences the Caribbean affords.
Moreover, this occasion is a major platform for promoting the Caribbean as a top-tier vacationer vacation spot globally, far past the occasion’s conclusion in June. It permits us to spotlight our pure splendors, wealthy tradition, and heat hospitality to a worldwide viewers.
Reflecting on the 2007 ODI World Cup within the West Indies, I recall two important missed alternatives to market the Caribbean. Whereas en path to a presentation in Singapore, invited by Dr. Carlisle Boyce of 3M Asia Pacific, my son Bevan and I noticed a conspicuous lack of Caribbean tourism-related protection within the media of the UAE, Sri Lanka, and Singapore, regardless of their intensive reporting on the match.
Throughout a gathering in Singapore, an skilled journalist of a famous journey commerce journal distributed throughout the Far East, recommended that complete publicity in her publication might be achieved via a familiarization go to to the Caribbean. Sadly, this suggestion was not acted upon by the powers that be upon our return.
With the ICC now comprising 108 member nations and 20 collaborating groups, the World Cup is a golden advertising alternative for the Caribbean. Tens of millions might be watching and fascinating on-line. The query stays, how will we leverage this consideration to spice up tourism?
Maybe it’s time to develop, improve or revive methods that enable us to diversify our tourism catchment areas past the standard Western markets. Our mixed cricketing prowess and tourism enchantment uniquely place us to realize this.
(Dr. Basil Springer GCM is a Change-Engine Guide. His e-mail deal with is [email protected]. His columns could also be discovered at www.nothingbeatsbusiness.com/basil-springer-column/ and on www.facebook.com/basilgf).
