Barbados has rolled out the welcome mat for leading Canadian travel agents under the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc’s (BTMI) Spirit of Barbados Mega Fam week-long familiarisation tour, part of a major push to boost arrivals from one of the island’s strongest markets ahead of the winter tourism season.
The initiative gives agents first-hand experience of Barbados’ accommodation, attractions and cuisine, while showcasing the island’s expanding infrastructure and growing airlift from Canada.
Speaking at the launch ceremony at the Hilton Barbados Resort, Minister of Tourism and International Transport Ian Gooding-Edghill said the event forms part of wider efforts to sustain momentum in what he predicted would be a record-breaking winter season.
He said. “One of our main accomplishments and a significant marker of confidence in destination Barbados has been our continued strategic partnership with airline carriers. Our collaborative efforts with Air Canada constitute a shining example of this.”
Gooding-Edghill also revealed that the ministry is seeking to further expand connectivity with Canada’s secondary markets.
“We have recognised that there’s heightened demand from some of our secondary markets,” he said. “You can rest assured that we are dedicated to continuing the groundwork already started, ensuring that we actively pursue the introduction of new gateways in Atlantic Canada and Ontario, as well as the reintroduction of service from Western Canada.
The minister noted that major infrastructure projects are also under way to support the island’s tourism growth: Grantley Adams International Airport is being expanded and modernised with additional aircraft positions to accommodate more passengers, while the Bridgetown Port is receiving upgrades to improve efficiency and enhance the cruise experience, including a new luxury vessel processing suite and boundary scanning facility.
BTMI Director for Canada, Eusi Skeete, said the Mega Fam offers agents an opportunity to experience Barbados beyond training sessions and promotional material.
“We really found that as we look across Canada, more and more travellers in the Canadian market are interested in coming to Barbados, learning more about the destination, and we felt it was important that the agents get that first-hand experience… nothing beats coming and seeing it for themselves,” he said.
Skeete noted that the participants were selected based on their strong sales performance for Barbados this year.
“They booked a significant amount of bookings for Barbados this year and then the whole idea is for them to come, especially now in a critical booking period, to be able to book Barbados throughout winter,” he said.
“We’re already seeing a very strong booking trend for the winter season out of Canada, and the goal is to ultimately expand on that through summer.”
He added that the familiarisation trip is also about strengthening relationships with travel partners and creating new opportunities for Barbadian tourism stakeholders.
“It goes beyond booking a flight and staying at a hotel — clients are now looking to see what are the things we can do in destinations, where we should eat, all these things are important and we wanted the agents to come and experience it first-hand,” Skeete said.
(LG)
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