Aprille Thomas of the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) represented her country at SOTIC 2024 and provided journalists covering the CTO State of the Industry conference an update on Barbados.
She said, her island offers 365 days of experiences for every type of traveler.
- It’s known as the undisputed Birthplace of Rum and Motorsport Island, with the only FIA grade 3 certified track in the region.
- Barbados welcomed 431,798 stay-over arrivals for the period January to July
2024, representing an increase of 16% over 2023. - At the Bridgetown Port, we ushered in 482,050 cruise passenger arrivals for the period January to July 2024, an increase of 11% over 2023.
When it comes to tourism arrivals:
- The UK remains the primary source market for Barbados however the US and LATAM are especially experiencing surges in growth.
- From January to July 2024, Barbados welcomed 146,568 passengers from the United Kingdom.
- For the same 6 month period, 140,476 US arrivals were noted, a 40% increase over the same period for 2023.
- Barbados is opening up to Latin America with a 77% increase in arrivals over 2023.
As a Commonwealth member, this Caribbean nation hosted the ICC T-20 Cricket world cup finals.
Barbados just concluded the 50th anniversary of the annual Crop Over Festival and Rihanna joined the celebration.
Airlift North America
- In November 2024, American Airways will launch a daily non-stop service from JFK, New York.
- Starting in November 2024, American Airways will also introduce a Saturday-only service from Philadelphia.
- The Boston service has also benefitted from an increase to 3x weekly.
- After 7 years, Delta Air Lines returns with a daily service from Atlanta, Georgia to Barbados commencing November 2024; combined with a Saturday-only service from New York scheduled for December. Both
services will operate until April 2025. - On October 1, we celebrate JetBlue’s 15th Anniversary of flying to Barbados.
- On December 3, we celebrate 75 years of Air Canada servicing Barbados.
In January 2024, Copa Airlines increased frequency to 4x per week between
Barbados and Panama with excellent connections to South America.
- From November 2024, WinAir will be connecting Barbados to St. Maarten,
Dominica, Saint Lucia, and Martinique opened up the French Caribbean.
Summer cruising returned and the destination received 24 cruise calls during the period. RCCL delivered the bulk of these calls along with Celebrity Cruises, Virgin Voyages, and Mystic Cruises.
- Due to this, Barbados has seen an increase in both cruise calls and cruise passenger arrivals between January and July 2024 when compared to the same period in 2023. This year, the country welcomed 278 cruise calls with 485,020 passengers, an increase of 11% over last year.
- Commencing this winter, the Grantley Adams International Airport will be adding a new terminal to assist with the seamless facilitation of air-to-sea passengers.
Construction at Berth 6 nears completion and is set to be ready by the upcoming Winter season.
- This will ensure enough capacity for both passenger and cargo ships.
On the Hospitality site, Marriott-operated properties expanded with several of their brands.
- The Luxury Collection: 1 hotel
- Autograph Collection: 4 hotels
- Tribute Portfolio: 2 hotels
- The House, Waves Resort & Spa and Treasure Beach to be completed
in Q4, 2024 - Tamarind Hotel: Closed July 15th, 2024, to reopen
October 1st, 2025
Tribute Portfolio is a family of independent hotels drawn together by a sense of character and passion for captivating design, vibrant social scenes, and experiences that feel like the real deal. All Tribute Portfolio hotels have their own vibe. They each tell their own design story, connect with their surrounding communities, and proudly show off their individual brand identity.
- Turtle Beach Resort and Crystal Cove Hotel will be closed for renovations February 1st – December 31st, 2025.
The Rockley hotel has opened on the South Coast of Barbados.
Owned and operated by the Ocean Hotels Group, the property is the reincarnation of the former South Beach hotel close to Rockley Beach.
Local artwork is displayed throughout The Rockley as part of its overall design. In the lobby, a new “Art for the People” gallery will spotlight rotating installations by local artists. It features 49 rooms and suites.
A 18 rooms, boutique property on the West Coast slated to open in March 2025.
- New Hotel developments include the Blue Monkey Hotel and Beach Club
Hotel Indigo.
This 132-room hotel is set to be completed and open in May 2025. It will stand on
the site of the old Caribbee Hotel.
- Pendry Hotels & Resorts
The hotel brand plans to develop Pendry Barbados and Pendry Residences
Barbados in the next 2 years. The new openings will mark the first international outposts for the brand. - Pelican Island in Barbados is undergoing a significant transformation as part of the broader redevelopment of the Pelican Industrial Estate. This project, which started in mid-2023, aims to revitalize the area by creating distinct zones, each with a specific focus. The redevelopment will introduce three main zones that will cater to food and entertainment, local artisans and designers, and community services.
The project, led by Export Barbados, emphasizes promoting local craftsmanship, improving infrastructure, and enhancing the visitor experience.
Aprille told journalist when in Barbados they should immerse in the rich legacy of Barbados rum in West Indies. Rum Distillery, a historic gem founded in 1893 by the visionary George Stade. The distillery stands as a testament to passion and
craftsmanship, where the acclaimed Planteray Rum and Stade’s Rum come to life.
Located on Brighton’s Beach, near the Bridgetown Port, the new Visitor’s Centre offers an immersive experience for visitors looking to discover more about the birthplace of rum.
Barbados will host four of the CPL matches this season at the Mecca – Kensington Oval. They include:
- Wednesday, September 11
- Friday, September 13
- Saturday, September 14
- Tuesday, September 17
Barbados will host Chicos 2024
- The Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference & Operations Summit has proven itself as the premier hospitality conference in the region November 13-15.
- The Barbados Food and Rum Festival will take place October 24-27, 2024
- The Run Barbados Marathon is planned for December 6-8.
The focus on hospitality and Marriott is no surprise in Barbados .
The Hon. Minister of Tourism and now also Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, Gooding-Edghill began his executive career in human resource management with Marriott Hotels and Resorts. In 1994, he was recruited into St. James Beach Hotels Plc, the first Barbadian company to be floated on the London Stock Exchange, and served as its Group Trainer, Group Human Resources Manager, and later, Human Resources Director.
In August 1997 when Elegant Hotels Limited was acquired by a private equity firm, Mr. Gooding-Edghill remained as its Human Resources Director.
In May 2015, he was one of the business executives responsible for the listing of Elegant Hotels Group PLC on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM), on the London Stock Exchange with a market cap of £88.8m. He also served on the Board of Directors of related Elegant Hotels Group of Companies. He remained with the Elegant Hotels Executive team and completed his contractual obligations in July 2020, prior to joining the Cabinet of Barbados.
Mr. Gooding-Edghill served as a member of the Barbados Senate (Upper House of Parliament) from 2003 until 2007. He served as President of the Barbados Employers’ Confederation from 2008 until 2016, Chairman of the Transport Board from 2002 until 2008, and from 2019-2020. He also served as Chairman of the National Insurance Board, a US$1.5 billion Social Security fund from 2018 until 2020.
In July 2020, Mr. Gooding-Edghill was appointed as the Minister of Transport Works and Water Resources. Following the 2022 General Election, he was assigned as Minister of Health and Wellness. On October 26, 2022, Mr. Gooding-Edghill was appointed as Minister of Tourism and International Transport.
