Barbados welcomes Air India

It is the dawn of a new era.
That's how officials from the Ministry of Tourism and Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) described the arrival of Air India, which touched down for the first time in Barbados yesterday morning. Approximately 400 passengers, who travelled a total of 8 937 miles on the direct flight in time for the remaining Cricket World Cup matches, were greeted at the Grantley Adams International Airport by the sweet sounds of steel pan. The visitors wer e also given gift bags with souvenirs on arrival.
BTA President Stuart Layne, while welcoming high-ranking officials, the crew and tour operators at a brief welcoming reception, said that this inaugural flight is "just the beginning" of greater things to come. Layne revealed that within the next month, it is anticipated that an agreement between leading travel agency, Kuoni Travel (India), and the BTA will be signed to ensure that more visitors from India will be coming to Barbados' shores in the very near future. "In 2008, we will have hundreds of Indians, based on an agreement with Kuoni [Travel], coming from India to Barbados. That will again happen in 2009. The idea being that around 2011, we will be in the thousands."
At present, the United Kingdom comprises a pproximately 40 per cent of Barbados' tourist market, 24 per cent from the United States, 9 per cent from Canada and 19 per cent from the Caribbean.
24/04/07 Janelle Husbands/Barbados Advocate, Barbados

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Categories: Air India Apr 2007, Foreign Apr 2007