Airbnb stays now account for roughly 35 percent of all visitor arrivals to Antigua and Barbuda, a shift Prime Minister Gaston Browne says underscores a growing tourism model that places local homeowners and small entrepreneurs at the centre of the industry.
Browne highlighted the trend during Thursday’s delivery of the 2026 national budget, saying the surge in short-term rentals represents one of the most significant transformations in the country’s tourism landscape over the past decade. He said the government intends to ensure that Antiguans and Barbudans remain the primary beneficiaries of this growth.
“Airbnb is here to stay, and our people must be the ones to dominate it,” Browne told Parliament. He said the administration will move to sell more beachfront and near-beach lands to locals, allowing them to build small villas, cottages and guesthouses that can compete directly in the rapidly expanding short-stay market.
According to government figures, visitor expenditure reached $2.4 billion in 2024—a 48 percent increase compared with a decade earlier—supported by growth in both traditional hotels and alternative accommodations. Browne said Airbnb has become especially popular among younger travellers, families and long-stay remote workers seeking home-style lodging.
The Prime Minister said empowering locals to participate in accommodation ownership is essential for spreading the economic gains of tourism more evenly across the population. He noted that while foreign direct investment continues to drive major hotel projects, locals must have a strong foothold in the sector to build generational wealth.
The government’s land-sale initiative will prioritise citizens and residents, focusing on plots suitable for small-scale tourism developments. Browne said the Cabinet will also work with financial institutions to improve access to credit for home-based tourism entrepreneurs.
Tourism officials say the rise of Airbnb complements record-breaking tourism performance in 2025, with more than 1 million cruise passengers and 340,000 stayover visitors expected. The government has credited the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) market—boosted by events like SIDS4 and the OAS General Assembly—for expanding demand for diverse and flexible lodging options.
Browne said integrating locals more deeply into the Airbnb market forms part of a broader people-centered growth agenda for 2026, aimed at increasing ownership, strengthening community tourism and ensuring citizens have a direct stake in the country’s biggest economic engine.
Budget debate continues next week.
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