BARBADOS is seeking to deepen tourism cooperation with Kenya and attract more African travellers as the Caribbean island positions itself as a gateway to the wider region.
Kyle Gittens, Director of Markets for Africa and the Middle East at Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI), said the island was exploring partnerships with the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) to increase travel between the two destinations.
Speaking during the Magical Kenya Travel Expo 2026 in Nairobi, Gittens said Barbados was also considering a formal memorandum of understanding with Kenya to strengthen tourism collaboration.
“We are looking to establish a formal MOU between the two countries so that you can see greater collaboration from tourism across the two destinations,” he said.
Barbados, which participated in the expo for the second consecutive year, established its Africa and Gulf Cooperation Council regional headquarters in Nairobi in February to expand its presence in the African travel market.
Gittens said the move would help the tourism board build relationships with travel agents, tour operators and other industry players as it seeks to grow arrivals from the continent.
The island has also joined the Kenya Association of Travel Agents and the Tour Operators Society of Kenya, providing it with direct access to local travel professionals.
The partnerships come as Kenya seeks to expand its international tourism markets while Barbados looks to diversify its visitor sources beyond its established markets.
Gittens said the two destinations could benefit from exchanging tourism expertise, pointing to similarities in their cultures, hospitality and food.
“Tourism is everybody’s business, let’s play our part,” he said, citing a Barbadian saying that highlights the importance of involving local communities in the industry.
He called for governments to develop policies that allow communities to participate in tourism planning and benefit from the economic opportunities generated by visitors.
Community-based tourism, he said, could help ensure that the sector’s benefits reach people beyond hotels, airlines and tour operators.
Despite Barbados being visa-free for Kenyan travellers, limited air connectivity remains a major obstacle to increasing visitor numbers.
Gittens said Kenyan travellers could visit Barbados without a visa but must consider transit requirements when selecting flight routes.
Travellers connecting through the United Kingdom or the United States generally need the relevant transit visas, depending on their route and circumstances.
During the October-to-April winter travel period, he recommended the KLM connection through Amsterdam as an alternative that allows Kenyan travellers to reach Barbados without requiring a UK or US transit visa on that routing, subject to applicable entry and transit rules.
The tourism board is also working with airline partners to improve access from African markets.
Barbados could also serve as a regional hub for Kenyan tourists interested in exploring other Caribbean destinations.
“Where Barbados is located, we serve as the hub for the Caribbean region,” he said.
This positioning could create opportunities for Kenyan tour operators to develop multi-destination holiday packages covering Barbados and other Caribbean islands.
The tourism official also urged destinations to embrace artificial intelligence and other digital technologies to improve destination marketing and make travel information more accessible.
He said potential visitors could use online tools to identify attractions, explore activities and generate itineraries within seconds, reducing the time needed to plan holidays.
Tourism boards, he added, should find strategic ways to use the technology to promote destinations and respond to changing consumer expectations.
However, he said technology should complement efforts to ensure local communities participate in the tourism economy.
For Kenya, cooperation with Barbados could provide an opportunity to learn from the island’s experience in Caribbean connectivity, cruise tourism and destination marketing.
Barbados’ presence in Nairobi will help it build trade relationships, improve access to African travellers and explore new tourism partnerships.
Gittens said both sides are examining ways to encourage travel in both directions, with the aim of building a long-term relationship between the two destinations.
