From Thursday (1 October), all visitors from the UK and Ireland will be required to have taken a Covid test no more than 72 hours before arrival, which must have proved negative.
On arrival, visitors will be required to remain at one of 70 approved properties, and will be tested again two or three days later.
If the second test is negative, guests will be free to leave the confines of the property, although they will continue to be monitored for seven days after their arrival.
A list of hotels and villas approved for high-risk arrivals to stay at has since been significantly expanded (*story updated on 9 October, see list below) and includes Cobblers Cove, Hilton Barbados, Sandals Royal Barbados and Sandy Lane.
A tourist board spokesperson said: “They [guests] don’t have to remain in isolation, but can enjoy designated areas of their chosen accommodation.
"This varies from property to property depending on their facilities, but some will even include being able to use the pool.”
The spokesperson added: “There is no longer a quarantine period of 14 days for high risk countries. There is a monitoring period after the second all clear, but this is self-conducted so doesn’t affect visitors’ schedules.
"Monitoring includes daily self-temperature checks and sharing that information with the public health teams who will check in via call or text.”
Caribtours managing director Paul Cleary said: “It’s clearly a complicated message to communicate, but equally it enables customers to still travel.
“The conversations we have had with agents in the past few days is that clients have accepted it if it means they can still go. We’re saying it’s not ideal, but this is what’s required to have a holiday.
“The feedback we’ve got is, ‘okay, we get it, we’re used to our own lockdowns’."
He added: “It’s not a Barbados problem, it’s a UK problem; we are a high-risk country. The very worst thing would have been if any Caribbean countries had decided to close their borders.
"They’re accepting our visitors, but we have to jump through a few more hoops.”
* Barbados hotels approved as first stays for high-risk arrivals (as at 9 October):
Accra Beach Hotel & Spa
Adulo Apartments
All Seasons Resort – Europa
Angler Apartments
Ascot House
Atlantis Historic Inn
Bayfield House
Beach View Hotel
Blue Horizon Hotel
Blue Orchid Beach Hotel
Bougainvillea Beach Resort
Butterfly Beach Hotel
Carib Blue Apartments
Chateau Blanc Apts On Sea
Cobblers Cove Hotel
Coconut Court Beach Hotel
Colony Club Hotel
Coral Mist Beach Hotel
Coral Reef Club
Coral Sands Beach Resort
Courtyard Marriott
Cove Spring House
Crystal Cove Hotel
Dover Beach Hotel
Eco Lifestyle & Lodge
Fairmont Royal Pavilion
Golden Sands Hotel
Harlem B n B
Hilton Barbados Resort
Inchcape Seaside Villas
Infinity On The Beach
Island Inn Hotel
Legend Garden Condos
Little Arches Hotel
Little Good Harbour
Mango Bay Hotel
Maxwell Beach Villas
Meridian Inn
Mullins Grove
Nautilus Apartments
Ocean 15 Apartment Hotel
Ocean Spray Apartments
Palm Garden Hotel
Pirate’s Inn
Plum Tree Club
Port Ferdinand
Port St. Charles
Radisson Aquatica Resort
Rockley Plum Tree Club
Rosebank Apartments
Rostrevor Hotel
Saint Peter’s Bay
Sandals Barbados Resort
Sandals Royal
Sandy Lane Hotel
Savannah Beach Hotel
Sea Breeze Beach House
Seafoam Haciendas
Shades Apartments
Soco Hotel
South Beach Hotel
South Gap Hotel
Southern Palms Hotel
Sugar Bay Barbados
Sugar Cane Club & Spa
Sugar Cane Mews # 2
Sugar Cane Mews # 3
Sugar Cane Ridge # 14
Sugar Cane Ridge # 7
Sun N Sea Apartments
Sunbay Hotel
Tamarind Hotel
The Crane Resort
The House
The Lone Star
The Sandpiper Hotel
The Sands
Time Out Hotel
Treasure Beach Hotel
Tropical Winds Apartment Hotel
Turtle Beach Resort
Turtle Nest Beach Apartments
Vineyard Suite
Waves Hotel & Spa
White Sands Beach Condo and Villas
Worthing Court Hotel
Yellow Bird Hotel
