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Officials reopen tourism, predict increasing airlift, hotel occupancy
Article by May 15, 2021
Barbados is again officially open for tourism business, officials announced Friday as they predicted a major increase in airlift to the island by year-end after a year-long closure triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.
And with the expected increase in airlift, a spike in occupancy levels across all categories of accommodation is also being forecast, according to Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) Senator Rudy Grant.
He joined other leading tourism executives for a virtual ceremony to relaunch the Barbados brand and the reopening of the market.
Minister welcomes US downgrade of Barbados’ COVID severity
Article by May 15, 2021
Stressing the need for a safe reopening of the island’s tourism, Minister of Tourism Senator Lisa Cummins on Friday welcomed the news that the US government’s disease watchdog is expected to downgrade its COVID-19 level warning for travel to Barbados.
The announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) comes six weeks after the foreign affairs arm of the US Government, the US State Department, listed Barbados as “Level 4: Very High level of COVID-19” and warned against travel here. The move drew the ire of Barbadian officials including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which said the island did not deserve that level of warning.