Barbados wins big in Bogota

he Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI) emerged victorious in the destination category at the prestigious Routes Americas Awards held in Bogota, Colombia, on March 20. This latest honour gives Barbados official recognition as the top destination for route development and marketing support strategies in the Americas.

The Routes Americas Awards specifically acknowledges the outstanding achievements of the air service development community – showcasing the collaborative efforts between airlines, airports, and the destinations they serve. The Routes Awards highlight the partnerships driving global air connectivity and are celebrated as the most valuable awards with respect to route development.

Commenting on the win, Minister of Tourism and International Transport Ian Gooding-Edghill remarked, “This recognition reaffirms Barbados’ position as a leading destination in the Americas. It also underscores the confidence that our airline partners have in the destination. Furthermore, the award affirms the successes we have achieved with our partners, and the strong partnerships that we have built. Our focus on strengthening partnerships with airlines and industry stakeholders has been instrumental in driving increased capacity and demonstrates the confidence that our partners have in Barbados, and enables us to achieve sustainable tourism growth.”

Over the past year, Barbados has demonstrated remarkable resilience and dedication to rebuilding the tourism sector and making the destination more accessible for travellers in key markets in the Americas.

Eusi Skeete, Director at BTMI Canada, expressed gratitude for the accolade, stating, “We are humbled to have won the Routes Americas Destination Award which is testimony to the strong relationships we have built with our Airline partners and our continued focus on stimulating demand for the destination through targeted marketing initiatives in key markets, thus strengthening the business case for increased frequency and capacity from existing routes and the introduction of new gateways”.

Expressing similar sentiments, Peter Mayers, Director of BTMI USA noted, “We are humbled and honoured to receive this prestigious Destination award in recognition of our work with our partners in advancing our network development plans. We thank Routes for this formal acknowledgement of our efforts and pledge our unstinting support to our Partners in continued pursuit of mutually beneficial results”.

As BTMI continues to prioritize sustainable tourism growth and strategic partnerships; this notable win underscores the organisation’s commitment to excellence in air service development and destination marketing.