Barbados looking to Latin America to further develop tourism sector
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – The Barbados government says it will open a new office in Panama City as it moves to further deepen its relationship with Latin America (LATAM).
Tourism and International Transport Minister, Ian Gooding-Edghill, said this will aid Barbados in continuing to strengthen the relationship and marketing efforts in the region and further demonstrate the confidence in this market for the growth of the tourism industry.
He said with the return of the Copa Airlines flight connecting Barbados to LATAM countries, the destination has facilitated the arrivals of thousands of travellers, including those looking to enjoy the destination under Barbados’ 12-month Welcome-Stamp visa.
Latin America is poised to be an important market for the growth of the tourism industry and trade relations with different partners in the region. Barbados has continued to see an increase in arrivals from Brazilian and Latin American travellers and is looking to continue its growth by welcoming more visitors through direct services via Copa Airlines.
Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) returned from Brazil following its successful participation at the World Travel Market (WTM) Latin America and a media tour in which members of the BTMI showcased the Caribbean destination to Brazilian media, travel professionals and consumers, accompanied by a delegation of the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport.
“Barbados and Brazil have a more than 500-year long history of connection, despite the fact that the Barbados-Brazil trade relationship is still largely under explored, given the size of the opportunity and we share significant cultural ties, not only due to proximity, but among the core elements of our shared experiences are sports, cuisine, festivals, beaches and luxury,” said Gooding-Edghill, who was part of the delegation at the WTM.
“Our historical connections and cultural similarities also allow many opportunities for collaboration between the two in the areas of sports, higher education, language learning, and business,”he said.
