Above: Bridgetown (Caribbean Journal photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

From the recent Top Gear Festival to the West Indies-England cricket series in March, sports tourism is “vital” for Barbados’ economy, according to Adrian Elcock, chairman of the Barbados Tourism Authority.

Elcock said the events like the Top Gear Festival and the upcoming Caribbean Premier League cricket tournament next month will have a “ripple effect” on the economy.

“These sporting events are important on many different fronts. You have the short-term benefits as it relates to the employment of temporary persons and the vending opportunities,” he said. “[There are] also long-term benefits such as the branding that you get out of [these events] and the media rights.When Barbados is transported on international cameras around the world, that is almost free publicity for Barbados. If structured [correctly], it could have untold benefits as it [relates] to long-term business in the future.”

That’s why, Elcock said this week, the BTA is “aggressively pushing” this area.

And it’s been the case for several years, as the island has increasingly looked to focus on what is one of the growing niche tourism areas in the region.

That’s manifested itself in several ways, from increased car racing events to working to attract athletes training for the 2016 Olympics to do so in Barbados.