For the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA), all eyes are on 2025.
Speaking at the BHTA’s third quarterly meeting held yesterday at Stade’s Rum Visitors Centre, West Indies Rum Distilleries in Brighton, St Michael, chief executive officer Ryan Forde laid out an ambitious road map for Barbados’ tourism industry, aiming to make 2025 a landmark year for arrivals and global recognition.
At the same, special focus will be paid to getting Barbados past its annual slump in tourism numbers between August and November.
Forde expressed confidence in making 2025 the new benchmark for tourism, with the goal of having Barbados known worldwide as the most diverse island in the Caribbean.
He described the last quarter as one full of “bouncers and yorkers”, noting both successes and challenges faced by the industry. He highlighted the boost in hotel and villa occupancy rates during the International Cricket Council Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup held in June.
Restaurants, particularly on the southern and eastern parts of the island, saw increased traffic during this period. However, the subsequent months of summer followed the typical low-occupancy trend.
Forde underscored the need to expand the summer tourism season with more events and meetings, stating: “We must focus on more events and meetings throughout the summer while highlighting the diverse attractions that we have on offer.” (CLM)
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