Chief executive officer of the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), William “Billy” Griffith has been giving the international media an update on the performance of the tourism sector.
During his presentation at an intimate media breakfast at Balthazar in Covent Garden, London, he reported strong tourist arrivals, a successful Year of Sports, and a slew of new activities, attractions and accommodations on the horizon.
Barbados not affected by hurricanes
Griffith began by addressing the effects of hurricanes Irma and Maria. He announced that although the hurricanes passed several miles north of Barbados, there was some overall confusion in source markets about which Caribbean islands were affected by the 2017 hurricane season. He added that the BTMI worked and is continuing to work closely with its international public relations and marketing agencies to reinforce the message that Barbados was not damaged and is still safe and functional. This effort will continue throughout the 2017/18 winter season and beyond.
2017 on track to outperform last year
Arrivals to Barbados between January and September 2017 stood at 488,025, up 6.6 per cent from the same period in 2016. The UK contributed 158,609 arrivals during that period, or 0.6 per cent more visitors than last year, claiming 32 per market share.
According to the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) exit survey, overall visitor expenditure between January and June stood at US$587.7 million, up 5.3 per cent compared to the same period in 2016.
Airlift updates
Griffith commented that the positive visitor arrival trends are expected to continue as several new services are being added at the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA). This December, the UK will see a new twice weekly Barbados-Heathrow direct service through April 2018, as well as a new Thomas Cook direct weekly flight from London Gatwick airport. British Airways will once again increase flights from 7 to 12 flights weekly this winter.
Europe continues its thrice weekly service from Frankfurt and Munich.
New and improved accommodations
“Visitors taking advantage of these new services this winter will have their pick of new and refurbished accommodations, from luxury to adults-only,” he said.
South Gap Hotel just reopened its doors after months of refurbishments. Elegant Hotels’ The House, after undergoing extensive renovations to enhance guest experience, re-opened in October and will be closely followed by the group’s Treasure Beach, which will re-open in November. Sandals’ newest property, Sandals Royal, is slated for December 2017.
Also reopening this winter is the renowned Fairmont Royal Pavilion in November, and Sea Breeze Beach Hotel in December. Looking ahead to next year, the popular south coast hotel Accra is expanding with a boutique, adults-only resort, The Abidah, coming on stream in March 2018.
In addition to the new accommodations, the island will also welcome the world-acclaimed luxurious Nikki Beach at Port Ferdinand this winter, as well as the first-of-its-kind Departure Beach by Virgin Holidays in May 2018.
Winter means luxury
To promote the diverse and high-quality offerings in the pipeline, Barbados’ winter campaign is focused on luxury. The multimedia campaign currently in market is geared towards promoting travel during the dominant travel period of December 2017 to March 2018, and targets the affluent traveller.
A mix of traditional and digital marketing tools will showcase the effortless beauty and luxurious wonder destination Barbados has to offer. Griffith stressed that though themed ‘luxury’, the campaign covers all high-quality product offerings across the entire destination.
Upcoming festivals and events
Several culturally immersive experiences await visitors this winter and beyond. The diverse sports calendar continues as the Year of Sports comes to a close, with everything from the Barbados Open Water Festival to the Dragon World Championship, and of course the highly-anticipated Run Barbados Marathon Weekend in December.
To kick off 2018, Griffith announced the rebrand of the Mount Gay Round Series to Barbados Sailing Week, to highlight the plethora of activities on offer. The Barbados Sailing Week not only sports a new logo, but also an enhanced entertainment package as well as five exciting days of racing, including the esteemed Mount Gay Round Barbados Race.
On November 30, the stage is set for the Government of Barbados to rename Westbury New Road, Rihanna Drive, in honour of its international pop star, Robyn Rihanna Fenty. The ceremony and unveiling will take place on the country’s 51st Independence Day.
Also on the menu for fall is the 8th annual Barbados Food & Rum Festival. From November 16-19, Barbados will host a culinary and cultural immersion experience like no other, featuring both local and international culinary artisans, as well as polo, parties and fish fries. This year’s international chefs are Jean-Georges Vongerichten of the US, Tom Aikens of the UK and Chris De La Rosa of Canada.
Accolades and achievements
For their hard work throughout the year, destination Barbados received several prestigious awards including Travel Bulleting Star Award’s Star Winter Sun Destination 2017, the #3 spot in Cruise Critic’s Top-Rated Southern Caribbean Cruise Destinations, and the World Economic Forum’s highest score in the Caribbean for Safety & Security.
Looking Ahead to 2018
Lastly, Griffith announced that next year’s focus will be on the varied culinary experiences that Barbados has to offer, from high-end gastronomic fare to off-the-beaten path watering holes. The Year of Culinary Experiences will begin with the inaugural Sugar and Rum Season which runs from December 2017 through April 2018. During this season, there will be a range of diverse and immersive activities such as Bajan cooking classes, rum distillery and rum shop tours, beach parties and much, much more. (PR)