Barbados recorded over nearly 11,000 air passenger arrivals in July – a new record – after months of being hard-hit by a global pandemic. Moreover, the major tourism milestone suggesting a positive turn for the island’s tourism industry ahead of the 2021/22 winter season, say Barbados tourism officials.

Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI)’s latest statistics showed that 10,819 visitors travelled to Barbados, representing an increase of 6,745 visitors when compared to the corresponding period of July 2020.

The United States came out on top as they copped a 43.3% market share, while the United Kingdom contributed 34.4% of business with 3,722 arrivals for the reporting period, the latter occurring after Barbados was added to the UK COVID-19 Green watchlist.

For the same period, Caribbean arrival figures stood at 1,391 and 390 arrivals from Canada – both representing an increase in arrivals year on year.

Interim CEO of BTMI, Craig Hinds, described the achievement as a step in the right direction after the tireless efforts, on and off scene, to re-build the tourism product.

He said, “Barbados has, and continues to weather this COVID-19 storm, but while this period has been difficult for the industry, the BTMI is so pleased to see the recent sprouts of positive growth. This growth is a direct result of the excellent sales and marketing efforts in our overseas markets through campaigns… as well as maintaining strong partnerships with our airline, cruise and tourism partners.”

Welcome Stamp

Also contributing to the increasing arrival numbers, was the “Welcome Stamp” work abroad program, which BTMI says garnered the most uptake from the destination’s primary source markets – the US, UK, Canada, and Ireland.

With one year already under its belt, the “Welcome Stamp” program was recently renewed for another year, presenting openings for more digital nomads and other professionals to live and work from Barbados.

“The program has proven to be a successful innovation which has positioned Barbados as a leader in the world’s eyes as we adapt our tourism product to complement the changing global climate,” said Hinds, adding, “Many global citizens have made Barbados their home – millennials, families and investors alike, and BTMI is therefore looking forward to continuing the promotion of the initiative for another year, allowing those already here to extend their stay, while giving prospective “Welcome Stampers” the chance to experience all that Barbados has to offer.”