Barbados, Dominica partner to boost tourism products

Barbados and Dominica are teaming up to offer tourists a unique experience.

The two islands will now market their offerings together as part of a multi-island package experience, which hinges on supporting their respective festival products.

This was revealed during a press conference held at the Island Inn Hotel hotel on Monday, where officials from the two Caribbean countries unveiled plans to work in unison to market their tourism products and provide visitors with a richer, more connected travel experience.

The partnership has come just two months after a freshly inked Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that allows full free movement between citizens of Barbados, Dominica, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Belize.

Pointing out that there continues to be growing air and cultural links between Barbados and Dominica, Director in the Caribbean Office at the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., Graham Clarke, said the collaboration will see both countries jointly promote multi-destination travel packages, coordinate media exchanges, strengthen airlift and support each other’s major festival products.

These developments, he believes, will boost regional travel and encourage shared economic benefits.

“This partnership offers a unique proposition to the traveller who wants immersion, authenticity and value for money,” Clarke said, adding that early indications showed travellers are already considering multi-island package experiences.

Meanwhile, communications and public relations specialist at the Discover Dominica Authority (DDA), Monelle Alexis, said the partnership would allow Barbadian creatives to have more opportunities to participate in Dominica’s festivities, particularly Mas Domnik 2026.

“Last year we saw Saint Lucia having a carnival float on the road to promote their carnival; Barbados can do the same in Dominica,” Alexis said.

She said while Dominican events regularly featured regional performers, including artistes from Barbados, with over 30 carnival-related fetes forming part of the upcoming season, they expect the partnership with Barbados to open new pathways for musicians, designers, deejays and other creatives.

Alexis said Dominica would also be open to Barbados staging promotional activities in Dominica ahead of Crop Over 2026, but acknowledged that such initiatives would have to be led by the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.

“… Collaboration and partnership, not competition, is what moves the region forward,” she maintained.

Marketing executive at DDA, Markerah George, also outlined Dominica’s ongoing tourism expansion, describing it as a transformation driven by sustainability, innovation and cultural identity.

She highlighted the island’s flagship project — the 6.6 km aerial tram linking the Roseau Valley to the Boiling Lake — and the growth of boutique and eco-luxury accommodation.

New hotel developments, riverfront resorts and nature-integrated properties are also expected to strengthen Dominica’s ability to host more regional travellers.

“Last year’s boost in tourism strategies attracted a 34 per cent increase in arrivals to Dominica and injected EC$25 million into the local economy.

“That growth reaches vendors, costume makers, sound engineers, store operators and hotels, and this continues to show that when culture thrives, communities grow,” George pointed out.

Alexis and George also used the opportunity to invite Barbadians to experience Mas Domnik 2026, which they described as one of the Caribbean’s oldest surviving carnivals.

They explained the intimate, immersive, village-to-capital celebration, which is shaped by African resistance, Creole heritage and the evolution of masquerade since the 1700s, would begin with a J’ouvert at 4 a.m. on February 16, 2026, followed by another full day of revelry.

“This means you can leave Barbados in the morning and reach carnival in the morning,” Alexis said, highlighting direct access via Caribbean Airlines, Winair, InterCaribbean and other regional and international links.

(DT)