The launch of a direct air link between the African continent and Barbados might potentially boost tourism and create opportunities for small, medium, and established local businesses by facilitating commerce.
Ian Gooding Edghill, the minister in charge of tourism and international transport, hammered home this argument in the Lower House of Parliament during the ongoing talks over the Annual Estimates 2024–2025.
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Approximately $21.5 million is what his ministry hopes to raise for the upcoming fiscal year.
Regarding the amount of labor, time, and effort required to get a direct route to Africa, the Minister emphasized that this flight is just as important for commerce, foreign exchange, and Bajan company owners seeking to expand their reach into new and wider markets as it is for tourists.
“It would also create an opportunity if we can get an airline or airlines out of Africa, for connectivity onwards. For example, connectivity to the United States or the UK [United Kingdom], and it would certainly reduce the travel time associated if, for example, any member of this Chamber or any member of the public wish to go to Africa, they would have to go up to the United Kingdom, which is approximately eight hours, and then they would have to go down if they’re going to Accra, if they’re going to Botswana, if they’re going to South Africa, and you can well imagine, depending on the point, you can probably move from six hours maybe to 10 hours out of London.”
Gooding-Edghill stated, “So we believe it is also central to what we are building out in Barbados, a hub, not only a hub for the Eastern Caribbean but a hub for the African continent into Barbados.”
The Minister stated that there are advantages for both regional and local travel. “We are, and we firmly believe that there are points in Africa that could redound to our benefit, not only for long stay visitors but also for the cruise passengers… I had discussions recently where I also indicated to cruise line executives the opportunity where we can drive business from the African continent. It will be a very good and noble idea for visitors and of course, residents who live in Africa to come to Barbados take a stay, of course, and then cruise the Caribbean and give them the opportunity to experience it.”
On the business side, he continued, “It also is a wonderful opportunity for us to drive cargo, trade, from Africa to Barbados. So if we can have the passenger and passenger load factor at a very good rate, and on top of that, if we can have the belly, as they refer to it, of the aircraft with cargo, it’s going both ways, I believe it would be a win-win situation for Barbados.”
Thus far, Barbados has witnessed the arrival of direct aircraft carrying officials on official trips from Ghana, Nigeria, and most recently, Senegal. Nonetheless, business travelers from several West African locations took a direct flight to Barbados on Ethiopian Airlines in August 2022. Travelers from Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria, and Guinea arrived for the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum 2022 (ACTIF 2022), which took place from September 1–September 3, 2022, at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC).
