TORONTO — Barbados got off to a roaring start in January with its best tourism month in 15 years and a 27% increase from Canada.

The island is trying to keep the momentum going with the launch of its  ‘Brilliant Barbados’ travel package, boasting over 40 hotels, must-see attractions and top restaurants.

‘Brilliant Barbados’ offers guests their first night free when planning a minimum stay of four days. The package also includes an exclusive discount voucher to use towards local attractions, plus information on the island’s re-Discover dining program. Valid for trips booked up to April 30, 2015, ‘Brilliant Barbados’ covers the travel period from May 9 to Dec. 19, 2015 inclusive.

Barbados has a repeat-visitor rate of 40% from Canada pushing the total of Canadian visitors upward.

January 2015 saw the highest number of visitors to the island in the past 15 years. Canada, in particular, made a massive leap, with an increase of 27%. There were over 10,000 Canadian visitors to Barbados in the month of January alone.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled with the growth we are seeing from Canada; the Canadian market remains a strong focus for us,” said Peter Mayers, the newly-appointed director of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) in Canada, replacing Cheryl Carter. (Carter has shifted into the director role for the BTMI in the United Kingdom.)

“Barbados has a long and very positive history with Canada, and we are delighted to see the numbers trending up. It’s proof that Canadians are spending on travel again, and that with that increased spend, our island remains a destination of choice.”

In 2014, long-stay visitor arrivals increased for the first time in two years for Barbados. To finish out 2014, a record-breaking number of arrivals occurred in December 2014, when the island welcomed over 55,000 long-stay visitors – the highest number in any given month since the April 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup.

With daily flights from major Canadian cities to the island through Air Canada and WestJet, the island has never been more accessible.

Visit brilliantbarbados.com for more information, including a list of preferred partners and participating attractions and restaurants. To book at any participating hotel partner use booking code: BB15. Upon check-in, guests will receive their vouchers and will be provided a list of all participating service providers.