Barbados visitors get 'free' spending money The value of the vouchers will depend on the length of your stay, and they can be redeemed at selected restaurants, hotels, car hire companies, shops and tour firms. They will be issued to holidaymakers who book before September 21, for travel up to December 21, 2013, upon arrival at their hotel. A spokeswoman for the Barbados Tourism Authority said the scheme was in direct response to a 10.7 per cent dip in UK arrivals during August, compared with the same month in 2012, a trend it blamed on rising APD. APD is paid by all those flying from a British airport, adding £332 to the cost of a Caribbean holiday for a family of four, or £664 when flying in premium economy, business- or first-class cabins. The tax on flights to the Caribbean has more than doubled since 2009, when a family of four would have had to pay £160, or £320 in premium cabins. The tax has also been criticised for discriminating against Caribbean nations. The level of APD paid is decided using four "bands," and by calculating the distance from London to the capital city of the outbound destination. Under the system, the Caribbean falls into Band C, but the United States falls into Band B. This means that anyone flying to California, or even Hawaii, pays less in tax than those visiting the Caribbean. How tax on flying has soared Air Passenger Duty paid by a family of four in economy class Band A (0-2000 miles) Europe Band B (2001-4000 miles) USA, Canada, Egypt Band C (4001-6000 miles) Caribbean, Thailand, India Band D (6000 miles+) Australia, Argentina, Singpaore