All the credit for Barbados earning top tourism awards rests firmly on the hard-working men and women in the industry, says Minister of Tourism and International Transport Ian Gooding-Edghill.

Following the arrival of the inaugural Sunrise Airways flight from Antigua and Barbuda on Wednesday, the minister responded to Barbados recently topping the 2026 Caribbean’s Ultimate Winter Escape Destinations list, created by digital travel platform Travel And Tour World. To earn the accolade, Barbados beat out destinations like St Lucia, Aruba, Curaçao, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.

“What it says is that Barbados as a destination has a very strong brand, a brand that is reflective of the core strategy as it relates to the warmth and the friendliness of our people. It’s reflective of the hard work that men and women who go to work every day and work within the Barbados Tourism Market Inc., and certainly the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport, those are the people who make it happen for Barbados,” he said.