THE Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has warned that the island’s reputation as a safe tourist destination is being compromised.

BCCI president Anthony Armstrong said that the tragic fire at Campus Trendz Clothing Store, which killed six people last weekend, should serve as a wake-up call for the country.

“One of the key factors for the tourism industry in Barbados is safety. We pride ourselves on being a safe society and we sell this idea to our visitors. While one incident, however terrible, does not destroy this state, there are other worrying signs that we are not as safe a country as we once were. We cannot afford to be complacent.”

He said that while people were aware that gruesome killings happened in other countries, most Barbadians “would have felt that it couldn’t happen here. Sadly, we now know that it can”.

Armstrong said the BCCI had started efforts to revive Bridgetown as a centre for cultural, sporting, culinary and commercial activities during the day and at night.

Armstrong also joined the call for the urgent implementation of a building code and urged businesses to review their emergency arrangements.