Barbados named Caribbean Luxury Destination of 2017

Alexander Britell, Editor-in-Chief and founder of the Caribbean Journal, officially presented the Barbados delegation with the prestigious Luxury Destination of the Year award, at the recently concluded Caribbean Week in New York City. He commended Barbados on its diversity within the luxury travel segment.
“From the new outpost of Nikki Beach to a transformation at The House, the island of Barbados continues to set a standard for luxury in the Caribbean, building on a foundation that includes everything from the world-famous Sandy Lane to one of the Caribbean capitals of fine dining,” he said.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), William “Billy” Griffith said he was thrilled by the destination’s second award in just a few months.
“Earlier this year at [the world’s largest tourism trade fair – Ed.] ITB Berlin, Barbados was awarded the number one spot in the World category on the 2017 Destination Satisfaction Index; that was very exciting for us, and now to be awarded with the Luxury Destination of the Year on top of that just a few months later, really demonstrates the distinction of the Barbados tourism product around the world,” he said.
Griffith was speaking at the Caribbean Media Marketplace during the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s (CTO’s) Caribbean Week, where the Barbados delegation, led by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport, Donna Cadogan, was sharing all of the new on-island developments with international media.
“As always, Caribbean Week gives us the opportunity to meet with other tourism industry comrades and hear about the global trends that offer potential for our region,” Griffith said. “Particularly of interest was the presentation by Sallie Fraenkel, whose insights on the expectations of wellness travellers were both engaging and enlightening. Barbados will certainly be looking to capitalise on the growing interest in the wellness tourism niche which, according to Fraenkel’s statistics, has grown to become a $500 billion industry.”
Also in winner’s row was the BTMI’s senior business development officer, Eusi Skeete, who took home the Jerry Award at the Caribbean Tourism Industry Awards Dinner and Fashion Show.
The Jerry Award was conceived in 1997 in memory of the late Jerry Magit, who represented the Allied members on the CTO Board of Directors. It recognises an individual who has demonstrated a passion for the development of the region and has dedicated time, energy, financial, and other personal and professional resources to its development. ~ Caribbean360 ~