The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) has pointed to an increase in visitors to Barbados since the lifting of COVID-19 travel restrictions last month as an example of the importance of getting travel back to normal.CHTA president Nicola Madden-Greig disclosed on Tuesday that according to statistics compiled from September 1, arrivals to Barbados moved from -10 per cent compared to pre-pandemic levels to -8 per cent before seeing positive growth of eight per cent.“[This is] showing you that we definitely understand and appreciate why restrictions had to be lifted,” she told a press conference at the CHTA’s 40th Caribbean Travel Marketplace being held at the Puerto Rico Convention Centre in San Juan.“It was not an issue because of the level of protocols put in place, the safety measures on the ground, working with CARPHA [the Caribbean Public Health Agency] and other agencies to ensure that those visitors that came, even though we removed the travel restrictions, were not at any risk and had a wonderful vacation experience.”