BARBADOS HAS been advised to maintain its hotel prices at an affordable level and continue to offer a scale of accommodation that makes the island attractive to British visitors.
Claire Bentley, managing director of British Airways Holidays, said Barbados had been enjoying the spin-off from that company’s marketing, evidenced through a 50 per cent increase in business to the island despite continuing increases in the controversial Air Passenger Duty (APD).
Bentley and British Airways’ (BA) head of commercial services at Gatwick Airport, Colm Lacey, are heading a BA sales and marketing team from Britain currently on a goodwill swing through the Caribbean destinations of the British airline.
At an appreciation event for suppliers, customers and partners of BA Holidays hosted by British High Commissioner Paul Brummell on Wednesday, Bentley reported a good performance for the company which she said was enjoying “a really good growth period”.
“We are marketing BA holidays and are driving incremental business to Barbados through our marketing . . . and people are considering Barbados as a destination through British Airways,” Bentley said.
“There is a lot of great product out here and I think Barbados is a great product mix . . . but make sure it is affordable. Please make sure that the positioning of Barbados remains premium – make sure it is a quality product,” she cautioned.
BA executive Lacey expressed satisfaction with the airline’s performance on the Barbados route, though he noted the company continued to battle with British authorities over the issue of the APD. He said the contentious duty has had a “hugely detrimental impact” on Britain’s business to the Caribbean.
Addressing the audience made up primarily of hoteliers and officials from the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association and the Barbados Tourism Authority, Brummel reminded them tourism was the most important economic sector for Barbados, and said Britain remained the island’s most important source market. (GC)
