Antigua and Barbuda is on track for a record-breaking year in tourism, with 2024 set to surpass previous benchmarks for visitor arrivals.
Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez announced that the country expects to welcome around 1.1 million visitors by the end of the year. This marks a 15% increase compared to 2019, the last record-setting year.
Air arrivals are projected to reach 320,000, while cruise passengers are expected to number over 800,000, and yacht arrivals are estimated at more than 20,000. All three sectors are forecast to achieve new records.
On December 21, VC Bird International Airport recorded 55 flights, exceeding initial projections. This figure includes additional services such as Norse flights catering to cruise passengers.
Antigua and Barbuda has also been named the Caribbean Destination of the Year by Caribbean Journal, with its Tourism Authority recognised as the Caribbean Tourist Board of the Year.
Looking ahead, new developments are set to drive further growth in 2025. Construction of major hotel projects, including the Marriott and One&Only properties, is expected to begin in the first quarter, alongside the Rosewood and Nobu developments in Barbuda.
The expansion of homeporting operations is also anticipated to bring additional economic benefits, with full passenger lists embarking and disembarking in Antigua, creating more demand for flights and services.
Tourism is a key pillar of the economy, and these developments are expected to strengthen its contribution in the coming years.
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]
Bless Antigua and Barbuda 🇦🇬 I saw this vision 3 years ago and shared it. God truly is watching over us and also the government putting things in place to make these happen.
Yet we continue to do very little in terms of our roads and infrastructure. The All Saints main road has never been so bad since donkey and cart days. Pot holes too numerous to sugar cake. To this end I am calling on the PM to make the necessary changes within the Ministry of PWD. The Ministry has a very good PS , a young and aggressive minister that wants to do well . However, several of the engineers at the top are involved in private practices and don’t care about our public roads. The guy that the PM called out is in every contractor pocket, the red Spanish looking one is totally involved in private work Using government vehicle and fuel to go on private jobs , high day time while government work suffers. The king the other engineer has his own road construction business and equipment. Nothing is wrong with that, just go private and stop drawing government salary and using government workers to do your own business. I sm sure you can bid and be awarded a good contract to repair a few miles of road. Co Williams needs some competition. So the Director sits in his office, leans back in his chair all day making personal deals. While the other two senior engineers are mainly concerned about personal enrichment.
The material are used up to do these private projects ahead of the government projects. There is always no material available to repair our public roads, while these top boys ensures that their private projects are serviced as priority.
I don’t know if the job can only be held by an engineer. I think at this stage we need someone with proper management skills, someone that will not take any bull , someone that is not consumed by greedy.
I think that Wesley James a senior civil servant an architect by profession, worked at PWD most of his working life has the ability, the honesty, integrity, a straight forward guy , will not bull shit you but will be straight up. Is the only person in Antigua civil service at this point to lead the as director as PWD. The cabinet went for Crump, a sweet talker and bull shitter and know ABLP supporters. However, he has failed miserably and will continue to bull.
I did my research and understand that Wesley is now attached to the Ministry of education. From all reports he and his team at the Ministry of Education is one of the best managed department within the government. That his addition to the constitution repairs and expansion of the school plants is a breath of fresh air. The Caribbean development bank officials are extremely pleased with the management of these projects that he is working on. These is no skullduggery but pure honesty and integrity. The reporting and financial management is exemplary. Where is needed most is the question? It is my view at this time with the economic growth that we are seeing and the bright future ahead. We need someone that could manage such a critical component of our development. Someone that would get the work done.
The other area is that of beautification along our highways. The effort to plant palms along the Oil Refinery road was not well planned. We need to put a proper team in place to work on a complete beautification of the entire country. Set short term goals and long term goals. The botanical garden can be a tourist attraction and relaxing area as well.
Last but most important we can set some small goals for our capital St.John’s . Starting with the cleaning up of the entire city. Washing down of our gutters during the nights with well concentrated detergents. Removal of vendors from lower market street and create somewhere more suitable for them to operate. That area just pass the fish market to Tanner Street or by bridge is stink.
Our governments like to throw away money during elections, even by- elections building sideways. There is absolutely no reason to lavish this amount at St.Peter’s. The sidewalks in St.John’s needs a short term plan of just repairing to ensure no one gets damage with immediate effect. Then we can look at a more holistic plan for the development of St.John’s and its environs.
Antigua is well poised if we put the right people in the right position. Stop the self enrichment and just do something for Antigua and our future generations sake.
Comments are closed.