Emirati airport services provider, dnata, said it has partnered with ‘Visit Barbados’ to encourage more travellers from the region to visit the Caribbean island, with its tourism authority reporting a 32% increase in visitors from the GCC in 2023, compared to the previous year, a report said.

Under the partnership, Visit Barbados appointed Dubai-based dnata Representation Services as its exclusive sales, marketing, and PR representative in the GCC, to promote the exclusive travel packages and bespoke itineraries available for GCC travellers visiting Barbados, Emirates News Agency, WAM, said.

The latest passenger arrivals demonstrate notable growth in travel to Barbados from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, a statement said.

Rakhi Purohit, Head of Representation Services at dnata, said: “We are proud to partner with Visit Barbados and look forward to promoting the island as a high-value, sophisticated and multi-faceted destination.”

Barbados Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Ian Gooding-Edghill, said: “Barbados presents an alluring long-haul holiday destination from the GCC.”