Antigua and Barbuda Expands Tourism Reach to Middle East and South America
Antigua and Barbuda is looking to strengthen its presence in new international markets, with efforts underway to attract visitors from the Middle East and South America.
Discussions have been held with major airlines, including Qatar Airways and Emirates, to explore the possibility of new routes that could improve connectivity to the twin-island nation.
Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez confirmed the engagement with airline officials, stating, “As recently as a month ago, I was in Qatar speaking with the officials from Qatar Airways in terms of coming to the Caribbean, with Antigua as the gateway.”
He added that discussions with Emirates suggest the airline is looking to establish flights to Antigua by 2026.
Beyond aviation partnerships, officials have been working to increase Antigua’s appeal in South American markets, particularly in Colombia and Brazil.
Fernandez noted, “I was in Colombia early last year at a Routes conference, and we continue to push for greater connectivity.”
He also pointed to interest from Chinese tourism stakeholders, saying, “Last year, we had some airline officials from Beijing looking at the possibility of charter flights using Antigua as a gateway to the Caribbean.”
Authorities believe that diversifying source markets will help sustain the country’s tourism industry.
While North America and Europe remain primary sources of visitors, expanding into emerging markets is seen as a way to ensure long-term growth. “It is important that if one market falls off, we have others to pick up the slack,” Fernandez said.
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This would be a game changer. I can see all Caribbean people using Antigua as the gateway to the UAE Middle East and India
Max I do not trust your timeline in anything
What about Latam or Avianca for the South America route
We have had a relationship with Cuba 🇨🇺 for 50 years so why hasn’t the Antiguan government set up a deal to have CUBANA AIRLINES to start flying to Antigua?? Cubana Airlines already has weekly direct flights to Trinidad, Barbados and St. Lucia. Why not Antigua?
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