NEW YEAR’S MESSAGE FROM BHTA CHAIRMAN STEPHEN AUSTIN What a year it has been for Barbados. From the historic General Election in May to our first female Prime Minister, the introduction of Barbados’ Economic and Recovery Plan (BERT), entering into an International Monetary Fund (IMF) Programme, new taxes for the industry, South Coast Sewerage Plant issues, the […]
Category: Tourism
NEW YEAR’S MESSAGE FROM CHTA PRESIDENT PATRICIA AFFONSO-DASS As we look back over 2018 and look forward to the New Year, I am reminded of the C.S. Lewis quote: “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” Our region’s rich tourism past and our many successes have served us well, providing a […]
Sandals Barbados and Sandals Royal Barbados have welcomed Ramel Sobrino as its newest General Manager. Sobrino, who recently celebrated his 30th anniversary in the industry, boasts an extensive background with experience in a number of key hospitality areas including serving as General Manager for Beaches Ocho Rios and Sandals Ochi Beach Resort in Jamaica and […]
It was a time of celebration for the Barbados delegation at last week’s World Travel Market (WTM) in London as both Kerrie Symmonds, Minister of Tourism and International Transport, and destination Barbados were recognized at the leading global event for the travel industry. Top UK tour operator, Virgin Holidays, issued the ‘Everyone Can Take on The World’ award to […]
A Caribbean hotelier is calling for a comprehensive review of airlift within region. Ralph Taylor, chairman of The Soco Hotel says the regional market is missing out on dual destination bookings from visitors due to the exorbitant cost of airline tickets and difficulties associated with travel. The former president of the Caribbean Hotel Association was […]
Barbados’ Food and Rum Festival is a strategic marketing tool used to increase awareness and drive visitation to the island. This is according to Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), Billy Griffith. In an interview with the Barbados Government Information Service at Taste of Exotica – A Signature Rum Event at Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Griffith […]
MONTEGO BAY – Barbados has all the raw materials necessary to fix the issue of low spending by visitors, Jamaica’s minister of tourism Edmund Bartlett has advised. Responding to questions from Barbados TODAY at a media breakfast hosted at the Jewel Grande Montego Bay resort as part of the start of Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX), […]
Some of Barbados’ long-time and most frequent visitors appear to be wary about the suite of tax measures imposed on the tourism industry – leaving them with a “very nasty taste”, on the verge of cancelling future trips or possibly slashing the length of their stay. Barbados TODAY contacted a number of frequent visitors who […]
A National Cruise Development Commission has been established to probe issues affecting the island’s cruise sector which is said to be in “a state of deep crisis”. Minister of Tourism and International Transport Kerrie Symmonds announced the 15-member commission this morning, during a press conference, at its offices located at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre. […]
Visitor arrivals are up for the first six months of 2018, and the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI) is expecting the positive trend to continue, with more flights due here and new attractions to come on stream before yearend. In a release, the BTMI said that between January and June this year, Barbados recorded some […]
The island’s two key tourism agencies, the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI) and the Barbados Tourism Product Authority (BTPA), will soon operate under a single board. Acting Minister of Tourism Colin Jordan today said this was the first step in the Mia Mottley administration’s move to operate the two entities as a partnership between Government […]
It is early days yet, but the July 1 introduction of the room rate levy and the 2.5 per cent product development levy on direct tourism has not scared away tourists for the Crop Over season now in full swing, according to the organization that represents the interest of local hoteliers. The Barbados Hotel and […]
Porters operating at Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) are being assured that their jobs are safe despite the change of Government following the May 24 general election. Minister of Tourism Kerrie Symmonds has made it clear that there are no plans to get rid of porters, commonly referred to here as red caps. “For those […]
Tourism and industrial businesses could receive an ease after all from the massive rise in their water bills occasioned by Government’s Garbage and Sewage Contribution (GSC) levy announced on Monday by Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Mia Mottley as part of her economic recovery plan. While not promising to reverse the decision, Mottley today […]
The country’s bread and butter tourism sector could be slapped with yet another tax as the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) administration presses ahead with its economic recovery programme. The cruise sector, which escaped additional taxes in the first phase of the three-phase Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan announced by Prime Minister and Minister of Finance […]
The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is looking to launch a major regional marketing campaign at the end of this month, as member territories seek to increase their tourism market share. CTO Chairman Dionsio D’Aguilar told reporters at a press conference in New York this morning that the promotion will be undertaken in collaboration with the […]
Tourism officials, attending the annual Caribbean Week in New York, are seeking to attract more business from the United States and have enlisted the support of the region’s Diaspora. Caribbean Week, which is organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization, coincides with the observance of Caribbean American Heritage Month, which highlights the contributions made by West […]
