ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND – that is the number of visitors the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) would like to see coming to Barbados from the United States from January to September next year.
BTA’s president and CEO David Rice expressed this wish yesterday while speaking at the Hilton Barbados to United States travel agents visiting the island for a special seminar.
He said while the country had a “very large” percentage of repeat guests from the United States and despite an “upward swing”, there was still “a lot of work to be done”.
“In 2008, January to September, coming out of the United States we had about 99 000 visitors to Barbados. The following year we had 83 000 for the same period. In 2010 we are back to the approximately 99 000 visitors out of the United States.
“I want to urge you to get us to 125 000. But we believe that out of the United States, there is no reason we can’t have 150 000 visitors,” said Rice.
He noted that with the expected increase in flights out of the United States, the BTA, along with the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association (BHTA), was “opening up” the market.
“We are really doing everything possible to make it easier for our visitors to come here. So we are asking you to encourage them,” he said.
Rice further thanked the BHTA for working with the BTA on promoting the island as a destination.
During her presentation, executive vice-president of the BHTA, Sue Springer, told the agents that there was an increase in accommodation with approximately 6 500 hotel rooms and 2 500 villa rooms to be filled.
She further said that there were a number of new suites, as well as planned renovations and upgrades to existing properties.
“Marriott Courtyard will be opening on December 15 of this year. They are bringing 120 rooms and meeting facilities . . . Lighthouse Resort will also be opening in November with 35 one- and two-bedroom suites. Ocean Two . . . will have one-and two-bedroom condo residencies. Three brand new hotels are on stream before we even get to Christmas,” she said. (MM)
