BHTA chair warns next government on legislative reform

Tourism industry chief Javon Griffith on Tuesday sounded a sharp warning to political leaders ahead of the February 11 general election, demanding urgent reform of tourism laws and renewed concession relief of the next administration while cautioning that escalating geopolitical tension in the United States could jeopardise what has become the island’s most vital visitor market.

Griffith, chairman of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA), said his priority was the formal inclusion of residential tourism firms under tourism legislation, arguing that their economic contribution had long outgrown the regulatory framework under which they currently operate.

“So first and foremost, to me it would be bringing the car rental firms under the Tourism Act so that they become part and parcel of the tourism industry, as are hotels and restaurants, given their significant contribution to the industry,” he said. 

He added that administrative responsibility for those entities should also be shifted. “I definitely want to see them be moved from under the auspices of the Ministry of Transport and Works to the Ministry of Tourism; that is a top priority.”

Equally urgent, according to the BHTA chairman, is the future of duty-free concessions for hotels and restaurants, particularly for properties approaching the end of the statutory 15-year window.

He said: “The other top priority will be the concessions for hotels, to see that either be expanded or be completely reimagined and taken back to Parliament as a new bill, so that hotel and restaurant members who are on the cusp of losing their duty-free concessions because of the expiration of the 15-year window are able to get back onto a very sound pathway of being able to access duty-free supplies to run their businesses.”

The association has already made formal representations on behalf of members who have lost concessionary access because of timing and administrative cut-off points, he revealed.

“We already have made submissions on members that have lost such ability, simply because their applications were made in 2010 and early 2011 and the expiration date itself passed and their duty-free licences would have naturally expired,” he said, adding that these issues now form “two things that are at the top of our agenda for the incoming government to be able to deal with for the satisfaction of our members”.

Griffith’s intervention comes amid growing unease in the tourism industry following recent disruptions to air travel caused by geopolitical developments driven by the United States. Earlier this month, temporary closures of airspace across parts of the Caribbean, triggered by US military operations against the Venezuelan leadership, resulted in flight cancellations and delays affecting both US and regional carriers. While no travel bans were imposed, the measures underscored how quickly aviation access to the region can be disrupted.

Those disruptions were felt at the Grantley Adams International Airport, where passengers were stranded for extended periods after multiple flights were cancelled or delayed. Travellers, including visitors and returning residents, were forced to remain in terminal areas, seek last-minute accommodation or attempt costly rebooking options as airlines adjusted schedules. The situation, he acknowledged, highlighted the vulnerability of Barbados’ tourism product to external geopolitical actions well beyond the island’s control.

Against that backdrop, Griffith said the BHTA was closely monitoring developments in Washington, stressing the central importance of the United States to Barbados’ tourism performance, merely a year after overtaking Britain as the island’s main source market. 

“For the time being… the only concern that we would have is the foreign policy stance being taken by the current US government and how that could potentially impact on the continued growth of the US market for Barbados,” he said.

“That market is pivotal to our continued growth. It is the fastest-growing market for us at the moment, and it’s one that we cannot afford to have going in the opposite direction after all the hard work that has been put in by the [Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc] to get us to where we are today.”

Griffith said close coordination among industry stakeholders was essential, especially for the BHTA, BTMI, and “small organisations” like Intimate Hotels of Barbados to continue to monitor “the manoeuvrings taking place at the White House”. 

He warned that upcoming travel periods were particularly exposed: “A lot depends on that market, and if our summer is to continue to grow, it will be the US market that will be driving that growth to Barbados because that’s where the bulk of our airlift is over the summer months. So it’s pivotal for us.”

He also confirmed ongoing engagement with tourism authorities as the industry plans ahead. 

Griffith said: “We continue to engage almost on a weekly basis with the leadership of the industry and the ministry at [BTMI], how we can play our part to continue to support them in their efforts to short the 2025/26 winter season and also summer and ensuring that summer becomes a very fruitful one for all.”

He added that broader collaboration would be required. “At some point in time, the NCF will have to come into that conversation as well, as they’re the ones that manage the Crop Over Festival, which obviously is a major driver to the country over the summer months.” Those discussions are expected to continue after the election.