Barbados Tourism Authority
"The Backbone Of Our Tourism Success"

Overseen by The Barbados Tourism Authority, careful planning, diligent marketing strategies and regulated standards have all played their role in Barbados becoming one of the most sought after Caribbean holiday destinations.

It was not just through the island's natural beauty and shear luck alone!

For any worldwide tourist infrastructure to portray an acceptable level of credibility, to foreign visitors, it is imperative that an official body is established to make sure that this happens.

Hence the very existence of the Barbados Tourism Authority, and in fairness and comparison with other similar authorities, this body really is doing an exemplary job with 566,763 Barbados tourists enjoying the island in 2008!

Marketing Barbados To Selected Target Countries

Marketing is important for any tourist destination that aims to attract visitors from other countries.

Barbados has been a popular Caribbean tourist getaway for a number of decades now, so we have really become something of an expert in learning what visitors are looking for and marketing accordingly.

The Barbados Tourism Authority has identified the countries which tend to make up the majority of the island's visitors and continuously markets the island to the citizens of these countries. They have also established official offices in many of these countries dedicated to this task.

For Barbados, this would tend to be the largest European countries, most notably The United Kingdom, Germany and The Caribbean, as well as the USA and Canada.

As the nation of Barbados was under British control until the 1960s, and still remains within the Commonwealth, British tourists account for a vast majority of visitor numbers, although other countries’ numbers are continuing to grow.

Barbados aims to appeal to a wide selection of tourists, all on different budgets. It is able to offer accommodation levels that range from a very comfortable and affordable budget standard; right up to the more luxurious and elegant 5 star properties.

Setting The Standard

The Barbados Tourism Authority has a duty to ensure that the facilities that are being offered to tourists are assessed and rated accordingly. This will extend to all areas of accommodation; as well as restaurants, and the goal here would be to inform foreign visitors of the standard of the facilities that they can expect to receive from each establishment.

This tourism authority also looks to identify any areas where services may be lacking and would therefore encourage the establishment of new services and facilities wherever they are deemed necessary.

This is not only good for visitors but it is also of fundamental importance to the Bajan economy as a whole. The tourist industry is the country’s main foreign exchange earner and all citizens are strongly encouraged to remember this fact and take it seriously.

This authority also becomes actively involved in ensuring that the transport connections to the island are up-to-date and sufficient to get vistors into the island. Much attention is placed on both air travel, as well as catering for passengers arriving by sea, with new carriers continuously being added to the island's increasing travel network.

Finding The Tourism Authority in Barbados

If you are on the island and need to visit the main headquarters, The Barbados Tourism Authority address is:

Barbados Tourism Authority,
PO Box 242,
Harbour Road,
Bridgetown,
Barbados.

You can also contact the office via the telephone number (246) 427-2623 or (246) 427-2624.

Also remember that there are a number of Barbados Tourism Authority offices scattered througout the world. Depending on what country you are from you may need to contact the office nearest you to obtain a Barbados visa before visiting the island.

These offices are based in the following cities:

• Sydney, Australia
• Toronto, Canada
• Montreal, Canada
• Paris, France
• Munich, Germany
• Milan, Italy
• Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
• Stockholm, Sweden
• London, United Kingdom
• Los Angeles, USA
• Miami, USA
• New York, USA
• Caracas, Venezuela