Tourism makes ‘record’ gains, plans for sustained growth

Barbados’ tourism achieved its highest-ever visitor arrivals last year, with more than 729 000 long-stay visitors recorded in 2025, according to figures presented to Parliament on Tuesday as Tourism Minister Ian Gooding‑Edghill unveiled plans to build on the record performance and attract continued investment in the industry.

As the House of Assembly considered appropriations of $31 572 453 for the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport in the Estimates, the department is asking for wages and salaries of $10.5m, goods and services totalling $11.8m, recurrent transfers of $9.4m and capital spending of $7.34m. 

 

Minister Ian Gooding‑Edghill told the House that international tourism had become a major driver of global commerce and remained one of the main income sources for many developing countries, including Barbados. The industry’s expansion had intensified diversification and competition among destinations but continued to create productive and inclusive employment opportunities, he said.

 

Tourism had strengthened linkages across key industries such as construction, manufacturing and agriculture while expanding opportunities for economic empowerment.

 

Tourism elivered record‑breaking performance in 2025, he told lawmakers. Citing data from the Central Bank of Barbados, Gooding‑Edghill said tourism activity reached an unprecedented level during the year, supported by increased airlift and strong demand from the island’s major source markets.

 

According to the Central Bank, long‑stay arrivals between January and December 2025 grew by 3.3 per cent, increasing by 22 970 visitors to reach 729 310 arrivals — the highest annual figure recorded. The previous record stood at 704 340 visitors in 2024.

 

Growth came largely from the United States market, where arrivals expanded by 8.1 per cent. The Canadian market also remained strong, recording 90 209 visitors over the year.

 

Arrivals from Europe and the Caribbean Community also increased, with CARICOM markets supplying 98 336 visitors in 2025 compared with 92 702 in 2024. Enhanced regional air services, including improved inter‑Caribbean connections, also helped drive visitor numbers within the region.

 

The Central Bank reported robust industry performance overall, with hotel occupancy rising by 1.3 percentage points to reach 65.3 per cent in 2025. Stronger room rates and sustained demand for accommodation also contributed to increased tourism earnings for the country.

 

Gooding‑Edghill said growth had guided the ministry’s work during the last financial year.  

 

“Over the last financial year, 2025–26, the focus of the ministry was to accelerate growth, and today I’m pleased to report that the ministry, along with the state‑owned enterprises under our portfolio, have exceeded our objective.”

 

He added that growth would remain the central focus for the 2026–27 financial year while the ministry also worked to improve operational efficiency and response times to the sector through reforms to internal processes.

 

The government continued to see increased private‑sector investment in the tourism industry, the minister. The Blue Monkey Hotel, comprising 28 suites, is scheduled to open in June this year, while Hotel Indigo Barbados has already opened on the island’s south coast with 130 rooms. The Royalton CHIC Barbados development will add another 220 rooms when it opens in June.

 

Looking ahead, Gooding‑Edghill said the ministry would pursue its work in the upcoming financial year through three main areas: policy development, legislative reform and service delivery.

 

The government intended to implement policies aimed at expanding the tourism industry while strengthening the island’s accommodation base through new initiatives, he said. 

 

The minister also indicated that legislative changes would form part of the ministry’s agenda, including the introduction of a timeshare fractional ownership bill and continued work on a tourist accommodation bill. He said the ministry would collaborate with the Attorney General to modernise and refine existing legislation governing the industry.

 

Gooding‑Edghill also pointed to continued expansion in airlift as a key contributor to tourism growth. He said the ministry, working with the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., successfully negotiated increased airlift capacity with major United States carriers, resulting in stronger visitor arrivals from that market.

 

Additional services included the continuation of flights by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, which launched operations to Barbados in October last year with three weekly services via Amsterdam. Air Canada also introduced twice‑daily flights on Fridays and Sundays during November, while JetBlue added a twice‑daily service from Boston.

 

The winter schedule also featured twice‑daily service from London Heathrow by Virgin Atlantic. Meanwhile, Government recently secured a new agreement with Condor to support flights into Barbados as part of a wider regional partnership.

 

Gooding‑Edghill added that Barbados continued to strengthen its position as a regional aviation hub. Copa Airlines, which initially operated one flight into the island, now runs five flights per week.

 

He said those developments, together with continued policy and legislative reforms, would support the ministry’s efforts to sustain tourism growth and expand the sector’s contribution to the national economy.