In July, Barbados opened applications for its new 12 month program called “Barbados Welcome Stamp”, a special visa which gives remote workers an opportunity to move their “home office” to the country for up to one year.

After temporarily suspending non essential travel to the island in response to COVID 19, Barbados has reopened to international travellers with an invitation to work remotely and live like a “Bajan” for a year.

The government program is in response to the changes in the global business landscape due to COVID.

“With this new visa, we can provide workers with an opportunity to spend the next 12 months working remotely from paradise, here in Barbados,” said Barbados’ Prime Minister, the Hon. Mia Amor Mottley.

TravelPulse Canada spoke with Nicholas Alleyne, CEO of Blu Isles Inc. a Destination Management Company, who explained why they expect the program to be a big hit with Canadians.

“Whether you’re a single person who doesn’t want to worry about cooking, or you’re a family who prefers more cottage style residence near the ocean, we can accommodate that,” explains Alleyne

“We take all the guesswork out for guests and make the process easy. Guests simply call us and after discussing their needs, we find the right property that is the best match, eliminating them having to sift through hundreds of properties to find the right one.”

Barbados has managed the COVID crisis successfully, in fact the most recent cases were due to travelers who, through the country’s strict protocols for tourists, tested positive on arrival. They are included in the country’s numbers due to origin of the tests, but Alleyne said it’s important to recognize they were not in the Barbados community.

“Our protocols in place are working and are adding to overall confidence,” says Alleyne. “Travellers are selecting Barbados over other countries because of how we’re handling the crisis.

In addition, our general population has adhered to all protocols and we still are. We have a very compliant and easy going, mature, population which has aided us to keep our numbers very low. It’s all about sensibly managing risk.”

Typical stays in Barbados are 5 to 7 nights, so Alleyne says staying for a year is the ultimate way for visitors to fully experience every nook and cranny of the island.

“We have so many different festivals, experiences and opportunities,” he says. “You can eat out at a different restaurants every night for 60-90 days and not eat in the same place twice. We have the most restaurants here per square mile in the Western Hemisphere.”

We’re the country that invented and perfected rum. We have a three month festival. It’s really a great time to come and live the Bajan life.”