Barbados welcomes 22 commercial aircraft and 3 cruise ships in a day

Barbados: Around 13 regional flights and six cargo aircrafts landed in Barbados, bringing over 7900 stay over visitors. Around 2000 air-to-sea passengers transitioned through the airport and its facilities.

The Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) was abuzz with activity on Saturday, December 20th as high-volume arrivals coincided with Visitor Appreciation Day activities hosted by the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI).

It was the biggest day for commercial flights at the airport with 22 wide-body commercial aircraft, approximately six cargo and as many as 13 regional flights arriving.

Approximately 7900 stay over visitors and roughly 2000 air-to-sea passengers transitioned through the airport and its facilities.

Arriving passengers were warmly welcomed with complimentary cocktails and mocktails crafted by popular mixologist Shane McClean.

They also received local sweet treats and welcome gifts. In the departure lounge, travellers also received farewell gifts from performers in traditional attire, while a roving photographer captured memorable final moments as eager passengers posed with the costumed entertainers, bringing their Barbados experience to a fun close.

They also enjoyed festive selections performed by pianist Rhea Drakes in the food court and had the opportunity to meet legendary cricketer, The Most Honourable Joel Garner, who signed cricket balls and posed for photographs.

The Visitor Appreciation Day at the airport capped off Tourism Week 2025. It is considered a true celebration of the visitors with a warm Bajan welcome. As part of the cruise tourism, the ships such as Arvia, Princess and Costa Pacifica docked at Port of Bridgetown, welcoming over 10,000 passengers.

The day was a wonderful success and a true reflection of the island’s passion for creating meaningful visitor experiences. Guests were greeted with cultural performances, warm hospitality, local flavours and special gifts that offered an authentic taste of Bajan culture and set the tone for a memorable stay.

The Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) Community Tourism Caravan hit the ground running on Wednesday in celebration of Tourism Week 2025. The team visited the owners of popular tourist spots and some hardworking entrepreneurs.

The journey began at BTMI headquarters and continued to PeliCan Island, where team members chatted with some of the vendors.