Effective Wednesday (May 25) fully vaccinated travellers to Barbados will no longer have to take a COVID-19 test to enter the country. Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley said the move will have positive implications for the country’s tourism experience, including speedier processing times at the Grantley Adams International Airport.

The news, announced Saturday, comes as over 70% of the eligible population in Barbados is fully vaccinated.

Offering a brief update about the position of the country’s tourism industry, Mottley said, “We had a 90% decline in the number of visitors… in the last two years. (Now) we are significantly on our way back up.”

The move also comes at a critical time as travellers in the island’s key source markets, including Canada, are making summer and winter holiday plans.

“What this signals to our travellers is that it is safe for them to come to Barbados, and we are in a position where we can comfortably accommodate many of the same measures they are experiencing at home, such as the protocols for mask wearing and testing for certain activities,” said tourism minister Lisa Cummins.

The change in protocols states that masks will now only be mandatory indoors and on public transportation. Outdoors, masks are optional.

Unvaccinated travellers

Prime Minister Mottley noted that the changes announced pertain to vaccinated travellers only. Unvaccinated travellers will still be required to present a negative COVID-19 test to enter Barbados.

For more information on Barbados’ travel protocols, click HERE.