Barbados temporarily reduces airport service charge to attract more visitors

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – In an effort to increase regional travel to the island, the Barbados government has reduced its airport service charge from US$35 to US$20, a statement from the Government Information Service said.

Tourism and International Transport Minister, Ian Gooding-Edghill, last week told Parliament that given the high cost of inter-regional travel, the six-month reduction was intended to stimulate Caribbean Community (CARICOM) travel to Barbados, and by extension, the local market.

“We recognise that the CARICOM market is price sensitive [and] we recognise if we are going to drive traffic to the destination in the absence of having what was LIAT in its former form, then we had to take the necessary steps to make the adjustments.

“We took this step because we felt confident that a reduction in the airport service charge will stimulate travel within the region and also ensure that we get more arrivals from the Caribbean into Barbados,” the tourism minister stated.

The temporary reduction is expected to end on December 14.

He also told the Parliament that his ministry is in dialogue with regional airlines such as Air Antilles and InterCaribbean to increase the number of weekly flights to the island, adding that “I am pleased to say, based on the load factors coming out of both regional carriers, that we are seeing an increase in the number of arrivals from within CARICOM.”

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