The Barbados economy continued its modest recovery with 9.8 per cent growth during the July to September quarter, bringing the expansion for the first nine months of this year to an estimated 10.1 per cent, according to the latest Central Bank report.Delivering his economic review for the first nine months of this year, Central Bank Governor Cleviston Haynes said on Wednesday that growth continued to be led by tourism activity “and its spillover into the non-traded sectors and the manufacturing sector”.He is maintaining a forecast for double-digit growth of 10 per cent for this year and continued growth for 2023 due to a predicted further upturn in global tourism and the implementation of large private and public sector construction projects.Tourism arrivals at the end of September reached 302 863, around 58 per cent of 2019 levels. This compared to 239 639 visitors for the first nine months of last year.Haynes noted that with the relaxation of global COVID-19 containment protocols, tourist arrivals have been steadily rising, reflecting the global demand for travel.
