The Chairman of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA), Javon Griffith, issued an urgent plea for national action on Tuesday to resolve the island’s escalating traffic congestion, which he described as a direct threat to both national productivity and the tourism experience. Speaking at an industry address, Griffith emphasized that Barbados’s road infrastructure has failed to keep pace with its economic expansion, transforming what was once peak-hour inconvenience into a pervasive, island-wide dilemma.
Drawing from his personal experience as a northern resident, Griffith illustrated how daily commutes have become increasingly unpredictable and burdensome. He revealed that his own journey from St. Lucy to St. Michael now requires a lengthy detour via the Ermy Bourne Highway through St. Andrew, St. Joseph, and St. George—a route never designed for such volume—to bypass the severely congested Highway 2A.
The consequences for the tourism sector are already tangible, Griffith reported, with rising staff tardiness, operational delays, and mounting frustration among employees striving to maintain service excellence despite circumstances beyond their control. He urged the government and stakeholders to adopt a comprehensive, modern traffic management strategy, including a thorough review of traffic flow patterns, strategic transport planning, targeted road infrastructure improvements, and greater integration of technology for efficient vehicle movement.
Griffith’s call to action comes amid a record-breaking period for Barbadian tourism. In 2025, the island welcomed over 729,000 long-stay visitors—surpassing the previous record set in 2024—driven by an 8.1% surge in arrivals from the U.S. and strong performances from Canada and CARICOM nations. This growth helped push unemployment to a historic low of 6.1%.
Despite these achievements, Griffith cautioned against complacency, highlighting significant private investments such as the upcoming June 1 opening of the Royalton Vessence Barbados and the recent soft launch of Hotel Indigo in Bridgetown. Enhanced air connectivity, including Aer Lingus’s new direct service from Dublin and British Airways’s deployment of the high-capacity Airbus A350-1000 on its London Heathrow route, further bolstered his cautiously optimistic outlook for 2026.
While acknowledging supportive government measures like extended concessions under the Tourism Development Act and VAT reductions, Griffith concluded that bold, collaborative leadership is essential to sustain growth and address infrastructure challenges head-on.