Barbados Tourism Association Scrambles to House Stranded Travelers Amid Venezuela-Linked Flight Chaos
The Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) has launched an urgent survey of its members to identify available hotel rooms, as widespread flight cancellations linked to the situation in Venezuela have left an unknown number of passengers stranded on the island. The association is coordinating
The Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) has launched an urgent survey of its members to identify available hotel rooms, as widespread flight cancellations linked to the situation in Venezuela have left an unknown number of passengers stranded on the island. The association is coordinating with national tourism and airport authorities to find accommodation for displaced travelers who cannot depart as scheduled.
Immediate Response to a Growing Crisis
BHTA Chairman Javon Griffith confirmed the association reached out to all accommodation members on Wednesday morning, requesting they complete a brief survey detailing room availability for each night from January 3 to January 10. "That puts us in a firm position to be able to coordinate with the BTMI [Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.] and the Grantley Adams International Airport to be able to get the displaced passengers accommodated as soon as possible, wherever possible," Griffith stated.
"Our priority at this stage remains persons who are already on the ground in Barbados who are displaced due to flights not being able to depart." - Javon Griffith, BHTA Chairman
Focus on Current Stranded Passengers
Griffith emphasized that the immediate focus is on travelers already in Barbados who have been grounded, not on future bookings. While acknowledging that mass cancellations in the U.S. travel market will likely impact future hotel reservations, the BHTA has not yet begun collecting data on booking cancellations. The association also does not yet have firm numbers on how many stranded passengers require extended stays or rebooked accommodations.
Data Collection Underway, Timeline Uncertain
More concrete information on room availability and passenger numbers is expected once hotels respond to the survey. No timeline has been provided for when normal flight operations might resume. Griffith indicated the BHTA would continue to update its members and relevant authorities as the situation develops and promised further updates once the survey results are compiled.