Canada’s love for Barbados continues to soar

Canadians continue to show their love for Barbados. Globally, the lush island saw an increase of 7.4% over last year with Canadians making up the third largest visitor market. The success is in part due to the ongoing efforts of the Barbados Tourism Authority to build and nurture partnerships in Canada and increase exposure through targeted marketing efforts. According to officials, the number of Canadians travelling to Barbados in the traditional July to October low season has increased significantly, illustrating that the travel habits of Canadians visiting Barbados have changed dramatically. Complementing this low season shift were increases in the number of visitors from Canada travelling in the shoulder months of April and November. “Canada has been one of Barbados’ leading visitor source markets for decades,”said Cheryl Carter, senior business development manager for the Barbados Tourism Authority in Canada. “What we are now seeing is that while Barbados remains attractive to the winter vacationer, there is an increased interest in our island during the summer months when, contrary to popular belief, the humidity level is significantly lower than what is experienced in Toronto and several major cities.”According to Carter, late summer and fall, which are usually quieter months, are also becoming popular travel periods. “Visitors have discovered that Barbados has an array of appealing events and attractions throughout the year, including Crop Over and the Barbados Food & Wine and Rum Festival, and are realizing that this is a destination which provides an unparalleled experience that extends way beyond the beach,”added Carter. “We believe that our ever-expanding calendar of sports and cultural events will continue to entice Canadians to our shores not only during winter, but throughout the year.”To meet the growing demand for Barbados and to provide a value travel option in the winter months, this past December, Transat Holidays launched a weekly direct flight from Toronto to Bridgetown. This seasonal service adds to Air Canada’s nine direct flights weekly from Toronto and two direct flights from Montreal and WestJet’s five non-stop flights from Toronto. (http://www.visitbarbados.org)