{"id":276289,"date":"2026-05-14T08:31:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T12:31:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=276289"},"modified":"2026-05-14T08:31:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T12:31:10","slug":"fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/","title":{"rendered":"Fernandez Urges Faster Action to Capitalise on Tourism Growth as Arrivals Hit Record Levels"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"antig-755710352\" class=\"antig-ecab antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Postpaid_Come Cross Postpaid 1200x400_Opt.1_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Postpaid_Come-Cross-Postpaid-1200x400_Opt.1_1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Postpaid_Come-Cross-Postpaid-1200x400_Opt.1_1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Postpaid_Come-Cross-Postpaid-1200x400_Opt.1_1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Postpaid_Come-Cross-Postpaid-1200x400_Opt.1_1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Postpaid_Come-Cross-Postpaid-1200x400_Opt.1_1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div><div id=\"antig-709114298\" class=\"antig-before-content antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/medicalbenefitsscheme\" aria-label=\"mbs may\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1200\/h:400\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/mbs-may.jpeg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1200\/h:400\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/mbs-may.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/mbs-may.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:341\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/mbs-may.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/mbs-may.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1200\" height=\"400\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez says Antigua and Barbuda must act swiftly to take full advantage of strong momentum in the tourism sector, as visitor arrivals continue to reach record highs in 2026.<\/p><div id=\"antig-3460964153\" class=\"antig-content_5 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.antiguabarbudaculinarymonth.com\/\" aria-label=\"culinary\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:843\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:843\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:132\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:450\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:337\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1536\/h:675\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:842\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1124\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking during events linked to the Caribbean Travel Marketplace, Fernandez said the country\u2019s growth reflects sustained investment in infrastructure, marketing, and public-private partnerships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He said the focus is shifting beyond increasing visitor numbers to improving the quality and value of the visitor experience, stressing the need for sustainable growth that benefits local people.<\/p><div id=\"antig-2496236908\" class=\"antig-content_4 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Postpaid_Come Cross Postpaid 1200x400_Opt.1_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Postpaid_Come-Cross-Postpaid-1200x400_Opt.1_1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Postpaid_Come-Cross-Postpaid-1200x400_Opt.1_1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Postpaid_Come-Cross-Postpaid-1200x400_Opt.1_1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Postpaid_Come-Cross-Postpaid-1200x400_Opt.1_1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Postpaid_Come-Cross-Postpaid-1200x400_Opt.1_1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div><div id=\"antig-182040392\" class=\"antig-content_12 antig-entity-placement\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1152\/h:512\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Carnival-2026_Digital_Screen_Pageantry.png\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1152\/h:512\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Carnival-2026_Digital_Screen_Pageantry.png 1152w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:133\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Carnival-2026_Digital_Screen_Pageantry.png 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:455\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Carnival-2026_Digital_Screen_Pageantry.png 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:341\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Carnival-2026_Digital_Screen_Pageantry.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1152\" height=\"512\"   \/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Fernandez pointed to ongoing luxury developments, expanded cruise activity, and increased airlift as key drivers supporting the sector\u2019s performance.<\/p><div id=\"antig-1747972713\" class=\"antig-content antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.antiguabarbudaculinarymonth.com\/\" aria-label=\"culinary\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:843\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:843\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:132\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:450\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:337\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1536\/h:675\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:842\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1124\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>He added that hosting the Caribbean Travel Marketplace for a second consecutive year gives Antigua and Barbuda an opportunity to deepen ties with international tourism partners and showcase the destination to major buyers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The minister also praised tourism workers and hospitality stakeholders for helping to maintain the country\u2019s reputation as a leading Caribbean destination, and reaffirmed government commitment to continued investment in the sector, which remains a key economic driver.<\/p><div id=\"antig-235769855\" class=\"antig-content_2 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courts.com\/antigua\/\" aria-label=\"500X500\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:500\/h:500\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/500X500.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:500\/h:500\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/500X500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/500X500.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:150\/h:150\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/500X500.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div id=\"antig-1487904488\" class=\"antig-in-comments_2 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/@hadeedmotorsltd\" aria-label=\"Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 1000w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:75\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:192\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1000\" height=\"250\"   \/><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez says Antigua and Barbuda must act swiftly to take full advantage of strong momentum in the tourism sector, as visitor arrivals continue to reach record highs in 2026. Speaking during events linked to the Caribbean Travel Marketplace, Fernandez said the country\u2019s growth reflects sustained investment in infrastructure, marketing, and public-private partnerships. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":276290,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-276289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.1 (Yoast SEO v24.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Fernandez Urges Faster Action to Capitalise on Tourism Growth as Arrivals Hit Record Levels - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fernandez Urges Faster Action to Capitalise on Tourism Growth as Arrivals Hit Record Levels\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez says Antigua and Barbuda must act swiftly to take full advantage of strong momentum in the tourism sector, as visitor arrivals continue to reach record highs in 2026. Speaking during events linked to the Caribbean Travel Marketplace, Fernandez said the country\u2019s growth reflects sustained investment in infrastructure, marketing, and public-private partnerships. [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Antigua News Room\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-14T12:31:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-14T12:31:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-03-at-9.07.26-AM.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1622\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1076\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Editor\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@AntiguaNewsRoom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@AntiguaNewsRoom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Editor\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Editor\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/36cac05ef6398fe56ae3e6317f8535c5\"},\"headline\":\"Fernandez Urges Faster Action to Capitalise on Tourism Growth as Arrivals Hit Record Levels\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-14T12:31:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-14T12:31:10+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/\"},\"wordCount\":190,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1622\/h:1076\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-03-at-9.07.26-AM.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/\",\"name\":\"Fernandez Urges Faster Action to Capitalise on Tourism Growth as Arrivals Hit Record Levels - Antigua News Room\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1622\/h:1076\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-03-at-9.07.26-AM.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-14T12:31:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-14T12:31:10+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1622\/h:1076\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-03-at-9.07.26-AM.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1622\/h:1076\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-03-at-9.07.26-AM.webp\",\"width\":1622,\"height\":1076},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Fernandez Urges Faster Action to Capitalise on Tourism Growth as Arrivals Hit Record Levels\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/\",\"name\":\"Antigua News Room\",\"description\":\"News As It Happens\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Antigua Newsroom\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_1584.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_1584.jpeg\",\"width\":1260,\"height\":1260,\"caption\":\"Antigua Newsroom\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/AntiguaNewsRoom\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/antiguanewsroom\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/36cac05ef6398fe56ae3e6317f8535c5\",\"name\":\"Editor\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96\",\"caption\":\"Editor\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/author\/editor\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Fernandez Urges Faster Action to Capitalise on Tourism Growth as Arrivals Hit Record Levels - Antigua News Room","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Fernandez Urges Faster Action to Capitalise on Tourism Growth as Arrivals Hit Record Levels","og_description":"Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez says Antigua and Barbuda must act swiftly to take full advantage of strong momentum in the tourism sector, as visitor arrivals continue to reach record highs in 2026. Speaking during events linked to the Caribbean Travel Marketplace, Fernandez said the country\u2019s growth reflects sustained investment in infrastructure, marketing, and public-private partnerships. [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/","og_site_name":"Antigua News Room","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom","article_published_time":"2026-05-14T12:31:08+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-05-14T12:31:10+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1622,"height":1076,"url":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-03-at-9.07.26-AM.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"Editor","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@AntiguaNewsRoom","twitter_site":"@AntiguaNewsRoom","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Editor","Est. reading time":"1 minute"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/"},"author":{"name":"Editor","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/36cac05ef6398fe56ae3e6317f8535c5"},"headline":"Fernandez Urges Faster Action to Capitalise on Tourism Growth as Arrivals Hit Record Levels","datePublished":"2026-05-14T12:31:08+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-14T12:31:10+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/"},"wordCount":190,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1622\/h:1076\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-03-at-9.07.26-AM.webp","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/","url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/","name":"Fernandez Urges Faster Action to Capitalise on Tourism Growth as Arrivals Hit Record Levels - Antigua News Room","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1622\/h:1076\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-03-at-9.07.26-AM.webp","datePublished":"2026-05-14T12:31:08+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-14T12:31:10+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1622\/h:1076\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-03-at-9.07.26-AM.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1622\/h:1076\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-03-at-9.07.26-AM.webp","width":1622,"height":1076},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/fernandez-urges-faster-action-to-capitalise-on-tourism-growth-as-arrivals-hit-record-levels\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Fernandez Urges Faster Action to Capitalise on Tourism Growth as Arrivals Hit Record Levels"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/","name":"Antigua News Room","description":"News As It Happens","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization","name":"Antigua Newsroom","url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_1584.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_1584.jpeg","width":1260,"height":1260,"caption":"Antigua Newsroom"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom","https:\/\/x.com\/AntiguaNewsRoom","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/antiguanewsroom\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/36cac05ef6398fe56ae3e6317f8535c5","name":"Editor","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96","caption":"Editor"},"url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/author\/editor\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276289","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=276289"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276289\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":276291,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276289\/revisions\/276291"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/276290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=276289"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=276289"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=276289"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}