A quizzical look from Roseanna Wollaston (left) of Caribbean Airlines as she chats with Selina Campbell of Trafalgar Travel. The ladies were guests at the Barbados Tourism Authority reception to promote Crop Over Festival 2008, held at Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel, Waterloo Road, on May 16

If making your island home a preferred destination is difficult, keeping it that way is downright hell.

So spare a thought for the officials from the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) after another of their annual Caribbean tours, spent promoting their island's attractions and its main festival, Crop Over.

Saving the best stop for last, the BTA crew touched down in Jamaica on May 14, and from landing until departure on May 17 they took over Jamaican airwaves.

The penultimate event in their tour was a press briefing at the Terra Nova Hotel in St Andrew. Representatives from the various hotels, car rental agencies and attraction sites met local travel agents and media personnel face to face to update them on happenings in the eastern Caribbean paradise.

Linda Christian-Clarke, senior business development manager at the BTA, said the increased travel tax had not affected the arrivals to the island.

In fact, arrivals from CARICOM between January and April actually increased! A new pier, upgraded hotels and foreign chains coming to the island were all part of the new Barbados which the BTA heads want the world to know about.

But the highlight of any year is Crop Over, which officially runs from July 5 to August 4. Cavalcades showcasing the best of Bajan culture have already begun, with the Grand Kadooment (like our road parade) being the finale.

Guests out included Marcia Erskine, Sharon Henry, Tina Henry, Maria Braithwaite, Ian Proverbs, Nicole King and Dennis Tull.

Nicole King (left), director of sales (Caricom and South America) of Elegant Hotels Group, tells Connie Lue (centre) and Kadeisha Chang of Chin Yee's Travel Service about the group's packages. In background is Marlene ChinShue of Paramount Tours and Travel.

Stacey Hutchinson, business development manager for the Caribbean and Latin America at the Barbados Tourism Authority, jokes with Gregory Armstrong (left), manager of Sports Tourism in Barbados, and Flavius Laidley of Slowly Jamaica.

Linda Christian-Clarke (right) from Barbados Tourism Authority welcomes Jamaican travel agents (from left) Pauline Levy of Pauline's Travel, Anne Saunders of Jetaway Travel, and Pamela Reece, also of Jetaway Travel. - Photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer