Barbados has reduced its airport service charge in a bit to spur more intra-regional travel, according to Barbados’ Ministry of Tourism. 

The island has lowered its airport service charge from $35 to $20, a move that will take effect through at least Dec. 14, 2023. 

Barbados Tourism Minister Ian Gooding-Edghill said the cost of intra-regional travel was too high, with the reduction intending to “stimulate the local market.”

“We recognize that the CARICOM market is price sensitive [and] we recognise if we are going to drive traffic to the destination in the absence of having what was LIAT in its former form, then we had to take the necessary steps to make the adjustments,” he said this week. “We took this step because we felt confident that a reduction in the airport service charge will stimulate travel within the region and also ensure that we get more arrivals from the Caribbean into Barbados.”

Barbados has also been working to increase the number of weekly flights to the island, talking to carriers like InterCaribbean and Air Antilles, among others.

“I am pleased to say, based on the load factors coming out of both regional carriers, that we are seeing an increase in the number of arrivals from within CARICOM,” Gooding-Edghill said.