About Barbados

 

Barbados, the most easterly of the Caribbean chain of islands was first settled by the British in 1627 and remained a British colony until internal autonomy was granted in 1961.The island gained full independence in 1966 but maintains ties to the British monarchy as a member of the Commonwealth.  The island's population has easy access to a comprehensive health care system which offers preventative and curative services. It also has access to free education to tertiary level. 

 

Tourism & the Economy

Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities. However, since the 1950s there has been an increasing dependence on tourism. Long stay visitors to the island have increased from 17,829 in 1956 to 567,724 in 2011. The island has also benefited from the development of the international cruise industry with an increase in cruise passengers from 12,391 in 1956 to 619,054 in 2011. Visitor expenditure for 2011was estimated at Bds$743.6 million.

Geography & Climate

Barbados is a relatively flat island rising west to east in a series of terraces to its highest point Mount Hillaby, which is 1100ft above sea level. On the western side of the island, the sea is relatively calm. However, on the eastern side where the waves roll in from the Atlantic the coast is much more rugged. The Barbados climate is tropical with temperatures ranging from 21 to 31 degrees Celsius and a rainy season from June to October.   

Transport & Communications

The island has one airport, Grantley Adams International which is thirty (30) minutes drive from the capital, Bridgetown. The major seaport is located in Bridgetown and serves both cargo and cruise ships. Barbados, with 1,475 kilometres of paved roads is considered to have one of the best network of roads in the Caribbean.  

Barbados is serviced by a number of international airlines including Air Canada, American Airlines, British Airways, Caribbean Airlines (formerly BWIA), Delta Airlines, US Airways, Virgin Atlantic, JetBlue and WestJet. All visitors to Barbados must have valid passports.   Visas are not required for nationals of CARICOM, USA, UK nor Canada. (You may contact the Barbados Immigration Department for a list of countries whose nationals require visas.)  All visitors must have onward or return tickets to their country of residence/origin. Departure tax is included in the cost of the air ticket at the point of purchase. 

For further travel advice, please visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade website.

 

 

Currency & Banking

The currency of Barbados is the Barbados dollar which has an exchange rate of BDS$1.98=US $1.00. International banks with branches in Barbados include FirstCaribbean International (created by merger between the West Indies operations of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and Barclays Bank PLC), Republic Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (RBTT), Bank of Butterfield, Bank of Nova Scotia, and the Royal Bank of Canada. All major credit cards are accepted in Barbados.
 

Ministry of Tourism

"Encouraging Sustainable Tourism Development"