The Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) is warning that while there has been no major fallout yet from long security lines at United States airports, the situation could begin to impact travel to Barbados if the ongoing US government shutdown continues for an extended period.
Chairman of the BHTA, Javon Griffith, said the tourism sector was closely monitoring the situation, particularly at major gateway airports such as New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Miami International Airport, which account for the bulk of flights to Barbados from the United States.
He explained that so far airlines have been proactively contacting passengers and advising them to arrive earlier at airports to avoid missing flights due to long Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security lines.
“We have not had any negative fallout from the TSA issue at the moment because thankfully the airlines have been contacting passengers by email largely and some by telephone to advise travellers to expect delays at major US airports and advising them to arrive at the airport as much as four hours prior to departure,” Griffith told the DAILY NATION.
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