TOURISM-Barbados welcomes additional flights from its primary source market

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados– Barbados tourism officials say more than 100,000 stayover visitors arrived on the island from the United Kingdom during the first seven months of this year as British Airways said it would be operating extra services between London Gatwick and the Caribbean island.

The Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI) said that 100,702 stayover visitors arrived here from the UK from January to July, representing just under 50 percent of all international visitors totaling 236,695.

As a result, it said the UK had become the largest single source market and that British Airways will, be flying its larger Boeing 777-300 aircraft from Heathrow, with a total seat capacity of 296 seats from the end of this month.

“This represents a total increase in seats for winter 2022/23 of 11,205 seats,” the BTMI said, adding that the winter 2022/23 Gatwick route returns moving from the five times weekly on the 336-seat Boeing 777-200 to eight weekly flights over the Easter.

IAG partner airline, Aer Lingus, restarts Manchester to Bridgetown from November 2 through April 30, 2023, while also from Manchester, Virgin Atlantic restarts MAN-BGI from October 31 this year, BTMI added.

Meanwhile, BTMI is welcoming the announcement by British Airways said that from March 26 through April 16 next year, it will operate extra services between London Gatwick and Barbados.

“British Airways is a long-standing partner that demonstrates a commitment to Barbados. Our mutually beneficial relationship has grown from strength to strength, even in the face of challenges such as the pandemic, fluctuating pound, and rising fuel costs,” said BTMI chairman Shelly Williams.

“Increasing services between London Gatwick and Barbados at a time that other carriers are opting to redirect their services to shorter haul destinations speaks volumes for destination Barbados and our relationship management.

“Easter has always been special to us, so this new capacity is particularly welcomed during this key period for the UK travel trade and our tourism partners in Barbados,” Williams added.