BY SHEENA FORDE-CRAIGG | APR 11, 2022
From left to right: BTMI Director for the Caribbean and Latin America, Corey Garrett; BTMI Senior Business Development Officer, Jennifer-Ann Braithwaite; Chair of the Board of Directors, BTMI and Barbados Tourism Product Authority, Shelly Williams; Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Senator Lisa Cummins; Barbados’ Ambassador to Brazil, Tonika Sealy-Thompson; MTIT Permanent Secretary, Donna Cadogan; BTMI’s Chief Executive Officer, Jens Thraenhart; BTMI Public Relations Manager, Aprille Thomas and BTMI PR Rep for Latin America, Melanie Neff, at the World Travel Market Latin America in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (A. Thomas/BTMI)
Heritage, luxury and eco-tourism were the key areas promoted by Barbados as the island participated in the recently concluded World Travel Market Latin America (WTM LATAM).
The WTM LATAM was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, from April 5 to 7, and the Barbadian delegation, led by Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Senator Lisa Cummins, showcased what Barbados has to offer to attract the important Latin American traveller, especially with the return of Copa Airlines, a key gateway between Barbados and Latin America.
This summer, Copa Airlines will be flying twice-weekly to Bridgetown from Panama City. This comes as Barbados is overall enhancing its civil aviation strategy to position itself as a hub for travel in the Southern Caribbean.
“As the tourism industry continues to recover, we’re thrilled to welcome travellers to Barbados. Latin America is poised to be an important market for the growth of our tourism industry for many reasons beyond just visitor arrivals,” Minister Cummins said.
She added that: “Barbados offers unique experiences, rich culture, established infrastructure and diverse products that will appeal to the Latin American traveller and investor. Now, with the return of direct airlift via Copa Airlines, we intend to become even more active in showcasing our uniqueness in this space.”
Minister Cummins, in meeting with key partners, noted that being able to cater to Latin American travellers was important to ensuring the success of the Copa Airlines airlift; and a dedicated focus on foreign language training, specifically in Spanish and Portuguese, would be an area of focus for tourism development in Barbados as the country makes in-roads in Latin America.
During the three-day event, officials from Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) emphasised the shared bonds between Barbados and its southern neighbour, from a shared passion for festivals to beach culture, which makes the island an ideal destination for travellers from Brazil.
As one of the largest consumer markets in Latin America and one of the target markets for the BTMI, Brazil represents major potential beyond visitor arrivals.
The island’s display, which was one of the only two English-speaking Caribbean islands represented, was in the form of a unique Bajan rum shop booth and was a hit at the expo. It provided a jumping off point to discuss the rich heritage available for Latin American travellers to explore, especially Barbados’ history as the home of rum.
The Barbados delegation met with new and familiar partners to explore the business development potential for travellers to visit Barbados for its eco-tourism and luxury offerings, all key areas of interest for Latin American travellers.
Also attending WTM LATAM were Permanent Secretary, Donna Cadogan; Chair of the Board of Directors, BTMI and Barbados Tourism Product Authority, Shelly Williams; BTMI’s Chief Executive Officer, Jens Thraenhart; its Director for the Caribbean and Latin America, Corey Garrett; Senior Business Development Officer, Jennifer-Ann Braithwaite; and Public Relations Manager, Aprille Thomas.
