COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO GILMORE TO TRAVEL TO BARBADOS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRIDGETOWN 000570

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC OTRA BB XL
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO GILMORE TO TRAVEL TO BARBADOS

REF: 011259Z MAY 07


1. Embassy Bridgetown warmly welcomes and grants country clearance
to LCDR Felton L. Gilmore, USCG Liaison Officer from May 26 to May
30, 2007. The purpose of this visit is to have preliminary port
discussions with government officials IAW IMO ISPS code and U.S.
Maritime Transportation Safety Act (MTSA).


2. Embassy points of contact are CDR P. Kofi Aboagye, Chief,
Military Liaison Office, 1-246-227-4339 or cell 1-246-230-2705 and
Major Curtis Schmucker, Deputy Chief, Military Liaison Office, tel.
1-246-227-4166 or cell. 1-246-230-2712.


3. Post's resources do not allow us the flexibility to meet and
assist visitors at the airport. However, Barbadian Customs and
Immigration are visitor-friendly. The taxi rate from the airport to
the hotel is approximately BDS$30 (US$15). The exchange rate is
approximately 2 Barbados Dollars for 1 U.S. Dollar. You should bring
enough U.S. Dollar bills to pay the taxi. U.S. currency, traveler's
checks, and credit cards are routinely and widely accepted here.


4. Entry requirements: A valid U.S. passport is required to enter
Barbados. No visa is required if your stay is under six months,
including those travelers arriving with diplomatic or official
passports. For further information, travelers may contact the
Embassy of Barbados, 2144 Wyoming Avenue N.W., Washington D.C.
20008, tel. 1-202-939-9200.


5. Departure tax for Barbados is BDS$60 or USD$30.


6. ICASS TDY Policy: Each visitor, regardless of length of stay,
must bring/forward fiscal data to pay for direct costs of the visit.
Each agency, organization or visiting delegation will be charged
for the actual costs attributed to its visit. Direct charge costs
include, but are not limited to: airport transportation and
expediting; driving services; American and LES overtime (for such
services as airport expediting, cashier accommodation exchange,
control room staffing, representational event support); travel and
per diem costs incurred by post personnel in support of visitor's
field travel; rental of vehicles and other equipment; long distance
telephone calls; office supplies, procurement/small purchasing;
departure tax and other airport fees. Post will not provide service
if fiscal data is not provided for the direct charges.

For TDYers remaining at post over 30 days, there is a charge for
ICASS support services. This charge is for the following ICASS
services: Basic Package, CLO and Health Services. Agencies will
not be billed until the accumulated invoice cost for TDY support
exceeds $2,500 for the fiscal year. If your sponsoring agency is
not signed up for ICASS services at post, please be prepared to sign
a Memorandum of Understanding for ICASS support services upon
arrival. The agency should provide post with a written
communication, generated by the traveler's headquarters, that
confirms the agency will pay ICASS charges for the TDYer, provides
the agency ICASS billing code to which the TDY support charges
should be applied, and authorizes the traveler to sign the ICASS
invoice generated by the TDY module. Where travel is urgent, the
TDYer should bring this documentation with him/her to ensure there
are no interruptions in the provision of service. Post will not
provide any service to a TDYer staying in excess of thirty days
without provision of this documentation before day 31 of the TDY.

A copy of the TDY Support Application Form can be obtained prior to
travel by contacting posts' point of contact.


7. The following is general information pertaining to security and
health considerations throughout the Eastern Caribbean:

Security
--------------
In the Eastern Caribbean, foot travel outside of well-established
tourist areas is not generally recommended, especially at night. Be
vigilant when using public telephones or ATM machines near roadsides
or quiet areas. As in many U.S. metropolitan areas, wearing
expensive jewelry, carrying expensive objects, or carrying large
amounts of cash should be avoided. Visitors should also safeguard
valuables while at the beach. While hotels are generally safe, many
visitors have experienced loss of unattended items. Hotel burglaries
are not uncommon and all valuables should be locked in room safes if
possible.

Health Information
--------------

BRIDGETOWN 00000570 002 OF 002


Throughout the Eastern Caribbean, the most likely threat to a
visitor's health is sunburn. It takes several weeks to become
accustomed to the heat and humidity. Prolonged exposure to the sun,
without protection, causes sunburn and may ultimately result in
sun-damaged skin or even skin cancer. Sunscreens should be used for
protection. In Barbados, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent the major
health threat is dengue fever, transmitted by mosquito. Dengue
cases are most often seen in the summer months. Persons should
therefore protect themselves with insect repellant. There is also a
growing number of HIV/AIDS cases reported. The Eastern Caribbean
enjoys clean and safe drinking water. Only routine boosters for
immunizations (i.e. tetanus, diphtheria, and oral polio vaccine) are
required when traveling to this region. Barbados has the best
medical facilities of all the islands in the region and most of the
medical specialties have practitioners here.

OURISMAN