We play to our strengths and continue to do what we do well

People-to-people contact is one of the things Barbados does best, and the Tourism Ministry aims to take advantage of this by encouraging Barbadians at home and abroad to help attract more visitors to Barbados. As Richard Sealy, Minister of Tourism, explains, “One of our most precious resources is our people, so it makes sense to get them involved in the tourism drive.”

Richard Sealy, Minister of Tourism

The Ministry is stepping up its contacts with tour operators and is developing the ‘Barbados Family and Friends’ program to reward locals for every visitor who travels to Barbados on the basis of a local person’s recommendation.

Sealy adds, “Many Barbadians live in our top tourism markets, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. We want these Barbadians to get involved in a formal way in promoting Barbados as a tourism destination.”

As for the effect of the global financial crisis on tourism in Barbados, Sealy says, “There are always crises that must be dealt with. We just try to play to our strengths and continue to do what we do well.” He adds that the biggest challenge Barbados faces is not the financial crisis – which he calls ‘the flavor of the moment’ in terms of challenges – but rather growing competition from other destinations.

Barbados has significant strengths as a tourism destination. It is the only country that is Zagat-rated, in addition it has a National Trust dedicated to preserving the nation’s heritage; natural beauty, an excellent quality of life, and unique attractions. To keep the flow of visitors coming year-round, the Ministry has developed the ‘Best of Barbados’ program with attractive offers and discounts.

The Minister concludes, “We are trying to push different types of tourism, for example culinary tourism, community and heritage tourism, conferences and executive travel, event-based tourism, and sports tourism as complements to the island’s natural attributes of ‘sun, sea and sand’ .”

Corbin’s Car Rentals

“Go where you want and see what you want, at your own pace.”

Family-owned Corbin’s Car Rentals, the award-winning, independent, low-cost car-rental company, was one of the first car-rental firms in Barbados. Today, it offers one of the largest fleets of vehicles on the island, and is known for its excellent service and competitive prices.

The company’s 85 vehicles range from Deluxe Mokes and compact cars to four-wheel-drive vehicles, sedans and vans that seat up to eight. Corbin’s offers automatic air-conditioned cars. All vehicles are kept in top condition by Corbin’s Garage Limited.

Special services include free pick-up and delivery, airport drop-off, local driver’s licenses issued on the spot, 24-hour assistance, collision damage coverage, insurance, booster seats and infant carriers, and free road maps. Corbin’s Car Rentals rents vehicles both short-term and long-term, and clients can reserve a car on the company’s web site or by telephone. Corbin’s is conveniently located in Upper Collymore Rock, St. Michael.

As Corbin’s points out, “Don’t be stuck in your hotel room waiting on a tour bus. Explore Barbados for yourself in one of our cars, jeeps or vans. Go where you want and see what you want, at your own pace.”

Palm Beach Hotel Group

“We have the best possible locations at good prices.”

Leif Brandel, Owner and Chairman

The Palm Beach Hotel Group has been a key driver of Barbados’s tourism sector since it was founded in 1969.

Leif Brandel, Owner and Chairman, came to Barbados in 1990 and has since acquired the group’s three flagship hotel properties: Amaryllis Beach Resort, Sandy Bay Beach Club, and Allamanda Beach Hotel, all of which are being upgraded to provide travelers with even better facilities and services. To better serve its potential guests, the group has offices in New York, London, Toronto, and Sweden.

The three hotels are all located within easy reach of Bridgetown and the international airport, yet each is in an idyllic setting with access to beautiful beaches. The Amaryllis Beach Resort, with 150 rooms and suites, is set on its own 400-ft white-sand beach and is surrounded by lush tropical gardens. Guests can dine in style at the hotel’s Almond Tree Restaurant, enjoy the Turtle Nest Beach Bar, take a swim in the hotel’s pool or sample the dining, sports and entertainment options in the adjoining Chattel Plaza.
Exceptional beach properties
The Sandy Bay Beach Club is another ocean-front property nestled in a lush tropical setting, and overlooks what many believe is the best beach in Barbados. It is within walking distance of St. Lawrence Gap, Barbados’s top center for dining and entertainment. It offers 130 rooms and suites, a gorgeous swimming pool, two popular restaurants, and a wide range of sports facilities. The resort is ideal for active travelers and families.

The Allamanda Beach Hotel is a 50-room property set in lush gardens by a newly created stretch of beach and boardwalk. It is located directly opposite Hastings Plaza, a shopping mall, and just a four-minute stroll from Rockley Beach, which offers some of the best swimming on the island. It is only a 10-minute drive from Bridgetown, 15 minutes from the Barbados Golf Club, and 20 minutes from the airport.

The Palm Beach group welcomes American travelers and works closely with Liberty Travel, which handles a major portion of the tourism business involving American visitors to Barbados. Brandel explains, “Liberty Travel brings in 18,000 room nights of business in Barbados, and we account for 6,000 room nights per year of this in our three properties.”
Partnership with Liberty Travel
Liberty Travel, which began as a one-desk operation in Manhattan in 1951, has grown to become one of the most successful travel agencies in the United States, with offices throughout the country. Liberty pioneered the concept of ‘vacation packages’. In January 2008 it was acquired by Australia-based travel-sector leader Flight Centre Limited, which operates in 11 countries.

Mark Benson, Vice President of Global Products for Flight Centre USA, says, “We’re very proud of our long-standing relationship with the Palm Beach Hotel Group. We continue to get great customer feedback regarding the properties. They have the kind of hotels and resorts we can always sell with confidence, and they attract a lot of repeat business. We are also proud that we have made Amaryllis Beach Resort the top-selling European-plan resort in Barbados, and in previous years, we have always exceeded our sales targets in the Barbados market.”
Upgrades in progress
Brandel’s current projects for his three hotels in Barbados include continuing to upgrade the very popular Amaryllis and Allamanda hotel, for which new infrastructure has recently been completed. “The rooms in the Amaryllis and Allamanda are particularly spacious, which is something we know American travelers will enjoy,” he says. He is also planning to add 30 new rooms to the Allamanda. Various discussions are taking place to find the best long-term business model for Sandy Bay Beach Club.

All three properties already offer exceptional attractions. As Brandel points out, “We have the best possible locations at good prices, as well as safe swimming, something not all the resorts on the island can offer. In addition, guests can opt for suites with kitchenettes so that they can prepare their own meals if they wish. Our guests can have a cost-efficient holiday with us.”

Barbados is an ideal tourism destination for American travelers, Brandel believes. He cites the island’s well-developed infrastructure, low crime rate, ideal climate, and range of dining and entertainment options, including many five-star restaurants. As for the Palm Beach Hotel Group, he says, “It is very important to us to exceed our guests’ expectations.”