The Caribbean island, which hit the headlines in November when it officially became a republic – 55 years after securing independence – seems set for a “strong winter”, with airlines such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic adding flights.
Cheryl Carter, director UK and Ireland and interim head of global markets at Barbados Tourism Marketing, told TTG becoming a republic was an “important milestone” in the island’s journey, one that started with its independence in 1966.
“Our feedback is that we’re looking at a very strong winter season – there’s a lot of confidence from our airlines,” she said.
New Virgin Atlantic flights from Manchester and Edinburgh, alongside a new Aer Lingus route from Manchester, underline the confidence in Barbados’ enduring popularity, said Carter.
“Coming on the heels of the past 20 months, that’s very good to see and speaks of the demand for the destination. Our first priority was to re-establish the airlift and routes, and we’ve been able to do that successfully.”
Wider appeal
Barbados is also to market itself as being more than just a beach destination by highlighting a range of niche products to holidaymakers, ranging from food and drink to culture and history.
“We want to be seen as being more than just a leisure and beach destination,” explained Carter. “We want to develop niches and the stories we can tell beyond the beach. We’re creating an immersive, inclusive experience across the island for visitors.
“Barbados is the birthplace of rum, so we will be telling the story about all the historical connections – we have four major distilleries, including St Nicholas Abbey, which has family connections to actor Benedict Cumberbatch.”
Another key plank of the strategy to widen the appeal of the island will include a focus on restarting the island’s many varied festivals and events, including the Crop Over festival, which traditionally takes place from late May to August.
“There are lots of angles and USPs we will put the spotlight on,” said Carter. “We’re looking at how to reintroduce festivals and events, given the current protocols, which are still very important.
“There will be a focus on health, wellness and mindful travel, as well as on the sustainability of tourism. You will be seeing a lot more about Barbados beyond the beach, and we’ll be looking to entice people with different interests.”
Trade importance
Carter stressed the travel trade would have a major part to play in Barbados’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, alongside its focus on more special interest attractions and products.
“We have probably about 25 to 30 key operators we work with very closely,” she said. “We do some collaborative marketing, as well as our own brand advertising and use some of the partners in our call to action.
“We also have agent rewards through the Barbados Elite Club – it’s a global loyalty programme with a points system used to determine which agents we work closely with. We’re engaging with the travel trade more and more.”
The island’s tourism office also plans to resume holding its industry symposium, Connect Barbados, in 2022 where operators are invited to the destination to get the latest updates from suppliers.
Carter said Barbados had enjoyed its best year for international arrivals in 2019 before the pandemic struck, including a record 234,000 visitors from the UK and Ireland.
“2019 was a banner year for Barbados – it was the best year for visitor arrivals and the best year ever for UK and Ireland arrivals,” she concluded. “We went into 2020 with huge optimism before Covid. I’m hopeful we can get back to where we were in 2019 for 2022, all being well.”
