The Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Ian Gooding- Edghill, reports a major rebound of the cruise sector from the effects of the covid-19 pandemic with passenger arrivals up by about 10 percent compared to 2019.
He was speaking this morning during the inaugural docking of the cruise ship Arvia, the vessel with the largest passenger capacity to ever dock in Barbados.
Mr. Gooding-Edghill said around 20 thousand cruise passengers will be on island this week.
Mr. Gooding-Edghill said tourism officials will take a more aggressive approach to increase arrivals.
The Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Ian Gooding- Edghill.
Meantime, Barbados will host the 41st edition of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s Caribbean Travel Marketplace, scheduled for May 9th to 11th, this year.
CHTA President, Nicola Madden-Greig, in making the announcement said the organisation has a very strong relationship with both public and private sector stakeholders in Barbados.
She added that as the CHTA position’s the region’s top earner for robust growth this year, they are delighted to lock arms with their Bajan partners to drive business to the Caribbean.
The event brings together buyers and sellers of the region’s tourism products and services, and Barbados’ Minister of Tourism, Mr. Gooding-Edgill said the Barbados tourism industry is undergoing a major renaissance in the post-COVID environment, and the timing could not be better to welcome Caribbean Travel Marketplace to Barbadian soil.
