[Barbados] Airport enhancements necessary

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[Barbados] Airport enhancements necessary
Cara L. Foster
Mon, 04/15/2019

It is important that when people come through the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA), especially visitors, they are able to see different aspects of Barbados.

This comment was made by Senator Rudy Grant, Chairman of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association during a recent interview with media.

He referenced the fact that Minister of Tourism, Kerrie Symmonds, has spoken about getting more Barbadians to participate in the airport’s operations, and stated that the board of GAIA Inc. was looking at ways to make the experience more of a “Barbadian” experience when the visitors arrive.

He highlighted that although at different points during the winter season you have visitors welcomed by good “Bajan” music and being treated to “Bajan” delicacies and refreshments, it was important for those visitors to have that experience more frequently.

“It is important as well that when persons come through the airport, they are able to see aspects of Barbados and that is something I’m very aware of and the Board of GAIA Inc. has been working towards; and I believe that over the course of the coming months you are going to see an enhancement in that regard and somewhat of a transformation,” he said.

“Visitors are coming to the destination to experience the authenticity of the destination, so that we have to ensure and make sure that we are able to expose them to what it means to be Barbadian.”

In regard to the actual airport, Grant reported that they planned to constantly look at ways to make the airport more effective and more comfortable for the passengers who utilise the airport.

He spoke to the fact that there was a desire by Government to allow the airport to be operated by one entity and credited this as a good idea. He noted that the entity was to be determined some time in the future. He explained that this would be done in a manner that allowed the airport to receive significant investment and have some expansion, which means when the airport goes back to GAIA Inc., or the Government, there would have been significant enhancements.