A quarterly survey conducted by the Caribbean Tourism Organization found that long stay visitors to Barbados spent 20 percent more money during the first quarter of 2016 than during the same period in 2015.

According to the report, total visitor expenditure on island grew from $280 million to $337 million in the first quarter.

This was achieved through a 14.9 percent increase in visitor average length of stay and a total growth of 7.4 percent in visitor arrivals.

The latter compensated for a decline in the average daily spend of 5.6 percent to generate the recorded growth in expenditure of $57 million in the first quarter of 2016.

Barbados was able to achieve growth in the average length of stay for all markets during the period, with the exception of the Caribbean region, which remained unchanged.

This yielded an overall increase of 8.9 percent in the visitor expenditure per person per trip.

Additionally, all markets, with the exception of the Caribbean, recorded increase in visitor expenditure per person per trip, with the U.S. leading the way with a significant 42.4 percent increase in spending by American guests.

The Caribbean was the only market that did not record an increase in the visitor expenditure per person per trip.

A breakdown of spending by market during the first quarter revealed that the visitors from the U.S. market spent the most on average per day at $240.78.

This increased coincides with an improved U.S. economy and lower oil prices, as well as additional airlift out of Boston and New York during the reporting period, which generated more than 4,800 additional seats.

Visitors from the U.K. contributed to 43 percent of the overall total expenditure with $146 million, an increase of $23 million over Q1 2015.

Total expenditure by visitors from the U.S. and Canada followed with $83 million and $53 million, respectively.

Meanwhile, money spent by European visitors totaled $27 million, an increase of eight percent.

On-island spending by travelers from other countries, which included Latin America, Asia and Africa rose by three percent to approximately $10 million.

Respondents, who represented one person per family or spending party, also revealed details on how they spent their holiday monies.

The largest share of traveler’s spending – 55.1 percent – was allocated to accommodation, a decline of 2.6 percent year-on-year.

This was followed by food and beverage outside of accommodation establishments – 18.2 percent – an increase of 0.5 percent.

“We continue to be very encouraged by the positive direction in visitor arrivals and, even more importantly, in visitor expenditure,” said William Griffith, CEO of the Barbados Tourism Marking Inc. This makes the role of the BTMI and our partners at the Barbados Tourism Product Authority and the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association so important in creating more exciting and compelling ways for visitors to spend their money on the island.”