CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
Prime Minister Gaston Browne says Antigua and Barbuda is on course to welcome more than one million cruise visitors this season, marking a record high for the twin-island nation’s tourism industry.
Speaking on the Browne and Browne Show on Pointe FM, Browne attributed the milestone to the government’s decision six years ago to partner with Global Ports Holding (GPH) — a move he said has transformed the country’s cruise tourism infrastructure.
“Global Ports just announced, you know, this season, 25/26, is over a million tourists — cruise tourists alone we’re having coming to this country now,” Browne said. “One million.
This is a decision that we took six years ago. They criticized us. They even made a point, they tried to make a point that 30 years was too long. But look at it now.”
The prime minister said GPH has already invested nearly US$80 million into the port redevelopment project and is still years away from turning a profit.
“Global Ports has not made a single dollar in profit,” he said. “So far, they would have invested nearly 80 million U.S. dollars. It will take some time to amortize that for them to make a profit.
And when we looked at the World Bank model, the average is about 30 years. It’s not that we gave Global Ports anything special.”
Browne said the partnership has enhanced Antigua’s position as a major cruise destination, with new land-based amenities and commercial spaces being built along Newgate Street to improve the visitor experience.
“What they have done is improve the product to the extent that we have a far better cruise tourism product now,” he said.
“Even the land-based facilities that they’re constructing here — it’s going to add to the visitor experience so that Antigua is now becoming a marquee destination within the Caribbean region.”
The prime minister also said the upcoming winter tourism season is shaping up to be one of the strongest in years, with hotels across the island reporting encouraging bookings.
“We also expect a bumper season for overnight tourists,” Browne said. “Most of the hoteliers that I spoke with said that they’re expecting very strong bookings for 25/26.”
Browne described the record cruise arrivals and strong stayover numbers as evidence that the government’s development model is yielding results.
“We are making progress in every aspect of our development — infrastructure, roads, water,” he said. “Antigua and Barbuda is now becoming a marquee destination within the Caribbean.”
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]
