Barbados still holds strong in competitive tourism industry

News released by the Barbados minister of tourism earlier this week, is sure to put a smile on many of our clients faces! Even in tough times economically, Barbados is thriving as a tourism hotspot and still growing in terms of its tourist arrivals.

Any investor that is looking for maximum occupancy rates in their purchased property in Barbados will be happy to hear that Tourism numbers are increasing as it ultimately means there are more people visiting the island and there is more chance of their property being filled and thus a higher rental return.

Figures released this week stated that there was “250 385 stay-over visitors recorded during the period of January 1 to May 30, an increase of 13 724 from last year’s numbers, representing a 5.8 per cent increase in arrivals. Cruise ship passenger arrivals also grew 3.4 per cent for the same period in comparison to 2010.”

The above is great news for property investors however; apart from the increase in the stay-over visitors through this period, could there be an underlying message? To be able to determine this, I would like to see the figures for the traditional busy period of December to January when room rates tend to be higher. If these figures have stayed stagnant, or decreased, it may prove that holidaymakers are still going to Barbados, just at the times when it becomes more affordable, in a bid to save money.

As saving money is on most peoples mind at the moment , the case has to be bought forward for purchasing on one of our developments in Barbados.

Both Weston and Ixora Resort are both located in St James on the West Coast of Barbados. Anyone that has visited the island will know that St James is truly the most luxurious and arguably beautiful part of the island. Property prices in this area of Barbados are traditionally sky high! However “A keenly negotiated land purchase price, innovative construction methods and very well managed build costs are the key elements to this development. The developer is renowned for delivering high quality apartments in premium locations at exceptional value. Their choice not to embark on expensive marketing campaigns and to avoid costly gimmicks often associated with overseas property sale has kept the project lean and helped to deliver high value.”

It seems there are two ways this latest news can be interpreted:

1. People are looking for cheaper alternatives to their yearly holiday in Barbados, which is exactly what Weston and Ixora can provide. We have worked out that even with low room rates and occupancy rates compared to other developments, our purchasers will still have yields in excess of 10%pa

2. Tourism in Barbados is increasing, which is great news for the whole of Barbados, including both of our developments where, even on pessimistic figures by today’s standards you will receive rental yields of 10%

If you would like some further information on any of our property investment opportunities, please contact us.