Prime Minister of Antigua and Former French PM Meet for Tourism Talks

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Prime Minister the Hon. Gaston Browne has held a meeting with Dominique de Villepin, the former prime minister of France on the afternoon of Wednesday. 

The meeting was held outside of his engagement in France with Audrey Azoulay, the Director-General of UNESCO.

 

Prime Minister Browne and former prime minister de Villepin engaged in wide-ranging discussions that focussed largely on ways to develop and promote niche tourism sectors and how to achieve quality country-branding.

Mr de Villepin spoke of his extensive experience while prime minister of France and how different tourism models can bring widely divergent benefits to a country’s economy and society.

He encouraged PM Browne to have his Cabinet carefully examine tourism project proposals to take advantage of developing niche sectors in the market. 

Mr de Villepin spoke extensively of the benefits of gastronomic tourism as an example of developing niche market, and he cited several examples of countries that have begun to move in that direction, indicating that he had worked closely with several of these countries to enter the market.  

Expanding on his thesis, Mr de Villepin emphasized that gastronomic tourism was part of the high-end tourism market that was known to bring greater economic benefits to a country’s economy.

He advocated for the recruitment of renowned or celebrity chefs who could utilize their skills and celebrity status to develop a unique gastronomic product that would be part of a country’s brand. 

For his part, PM Browne provided Mr de Villepin with a summary of how the tourism industry in Antigua and Barbuda developed, especially since independence.

The current and former prime ministers then discussed practical ways of proceeding along the path of gastronomic tourism.

PM Browne undertook not only to put this tourism policy issue before his Cabinet but to mandate Ambassador Boris Latour (UNESCO) to engage in follow-up discussions that would lead to an action plan. 

PM Browne, who was accompanied by Ambassador Colin Murdoch, Ambassador Boris Latour and Mr Timothee Bauer, DPR of Antigua and Barbuda’s UN mission in Geneva, left Paris on Thursday.

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8 COMMENTS

  1. Prime Minister Browne, talking about travel and tourism; how are you going to respond to the strong rumours about Antiguans needing to ontain a VISA to travel to the UK and other European countries because of the UNDENIABLE fraudulent use of the CIP.

    Again here’s the proof:

    https://writeups24.com/caribbean-nationals-will-require-a-visa-to-travel-to-the-uk-starting-from-dominica/

    We know you like to HIDE yourself away from difficult decisions, but this will effect many Antiguans who regularly travel to visit family; conduct important business that contribute to this beautiful island; and simply just to broaden our cultural horizons (like many ANU students).

    STEP-UP NOW PRIME MINISTER BROWNE AND SHOW THE REST OF THE COUNTRY THAT YOU HAVE OUR LONG-TERM INTERESTS AT HEART – YOU OWE IT TO US!

    PS. CIP now needs kicking to the kerbside.

  2. You need to take care of your responsibilities at home and stop wasting tax payers money with all your far away ideas that never pan out. #no confidence.
    Red dead………

  3. Wow! A good move by Gaston.
    This sounds like a worthy and productive meeting.
    Among the many things lacking in Antigua and Barbuda as a tourism destination is haute cuisine and fine dinning.
    Most of Antigua and Barbuda quality food establishments are in hotels. Celebrity chefs are either in their own restaurants, or in 4 & 5 star hotels.
    So far there is Nobu on Barbuda; we await the follow up action plans mentioned.
    Southern European sea towns like Ibiza and Maribel have built their economy around fine dinning and night life.
    Antigua and Barbuda ON is in to a good idea. Kudos for Gaston

    • @ Winston, you write about the benefits of Southern Europe, but if, as rumoured, that Antiguans will have to apply for visas to visit European countries – as well as the UK – in December is an injustice and travesty.

      You obviously haven’t been following this developing story Winston.

      There’s NO KUDOS at all if Gaston’s Browne doesn’t address this important matter forthwith sir …

  4. You learned a new word!…no need to use it so many times in the press release! I wonder if this is the same person who pulled together the plagiarized Oxford sermon.
    So Gassy was grovelling in Paris with a former PM from 15 years ago.
    Just bringing it to you attention! The French do not like black people! You are a non-entity to them. You met with someone not remotely connected to Tourism. Photo op? Try not to fool us please. We are so tired of your bullsh!t…where to next…Spain?…Italy? Keep on wasting taxpayer money!

  5. Gaston Brown is a despicable human being; but even broken clock is right twice per day.
    All the other times that clock is giving you the wrong time.
    When you have such a depraved individual like as Gaston Brown as PM; it’s very hard to give credit to anything he does. I understand and have empathy with those who think he is a no god Son of a father he never knew. And who deserves no credit
    But I see some benefits in Antigua and Barbuda becoming the leader and the gastronomic center of the Caribbean. Anguilla has a leg up on Antigua already. It’s worthy of pursuing, so long as we don’t give away the store and take advantage of poor people to make it happen.

    With regards to new visa requirements:
    The the Caribbean countries offering CIP passports have been lowering the requirements and allowing all sorts of Tom, Dick and Harry to become CIP agents, in their quest to compete. Like everything else no one is disciplined when they breach the requirements to make a buck.
    It’s ironic that Antigua and Barbuda and others are members of the Commonwealth. Just another reason why we should leave and give the UK grifters among us the boot.
    We need to diversify our economy. A must have for a truly tourism market are high quality dinning and other related food options.
    One of the reasons why the mega yachts are in Bali at this time of year
    and not in Falmouth Harbour or English Harbour has to do with the lack of food and high quality food and entertainment. How can we be seriously a tourism destination when we do not have one Michelin rated restaurant?
    I agree the matter needs to be addressed about Visas. The hand writing was on the wall. This is just one of many items that the regional media should have been covering and warning the public and readers about.
    We only worry when the emergency becomes critical.
    It’s on this very trip to Europe where Gaston proudly spoke of the CIP at the same time when the same program he lauded is creating problems back home. The individuals who arranged the Oxford moment should have arranged it with the UK Home Secretary
    Sorry to appear callus on this matter, but Antigua and Barbuda travels to the UK are for the Elites, the politically connected, and the Nepo Babies.
    The poor people for whose interest I advocate, are looking out for their next meal, safe streets, portable water, affordable electricity, respect and fair treatment when they visit Government offices. An end to the elites and Nepo babies looking down on them.
    I have travelled the back roads of Ebrington, the Cotwolds, Ipswich and Chalk Farm. I’ve been schooled in Bedford Sq and had tea in Mayfair, and The alleys of Soho; and I’d rather be on the unpaved dusty roads roads of the village of Codrington.

  6. @Brixton
    I tell family in England. Me nar come… you come and bring the money ya.
    Come fix up the house that you ignore since Irma.
    Until England open up the vaults of the British Museum and the National Archives, return the cultural and spiritual artifacts plundered and stolen from Africa and give us access to the records of what happened during years of slavery and stolen wages that they used to build their wealth
    It would interesting how many Antiguans have spent 10 hours per year in our Archives in Antigua getting familiar with life in the Colonial Era
    We need to know and Understanding what we have contributed to make their world what it is today. Not to visit their tourist traps and consume oily fish and ships.
    Our culture is our hidden history from times when our tribal enemies sold our father’s and mothers down the river.
    Our culture and history as shown here when some of the men named here who ended up in Jamaica were taken from the ANTIGUA Sugar Factory in Gunthtopes

    “Industrial Revolution iron method ‘was taken from Jamaica by Briton’” https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jul/05/industrial-revolution-iron-method-taken-from-jamaica-briton

  7. Your comment is awaiting moderation
    @Brixton
I tell family in England. Me nar come… you come and bring the money ya.
    
Come fix up the house that you ignore since Irma.

    Until England open up the vaults of the British Museum and the National Archives, return the cultural and spiritual artifacts plundered and stolen from Africa and give us access to the records of what happened during years of slavery and stolen wageAnd Acknowledgment that they used stolen forced labor to build their
    wealth.
    Spend time in our Archives in Antigua getting familiar with life in the Colonial Era
    
 We need to know and Understanding what we have contributed to make their world what it is today.
    But not by visiting their tourist traps and consume oily fish and ships.

    Our culture is our hidden history from times when our tribal enemies sold our father’s and mothers down the river.

    Our culture and history as shown here when some of the men named here who ended up in Jamaica were taken from the ANTIGUA Sugar Factory in Gunthtopes
    “Industrial Revolution iron method ‘was taken from Jamaica by Briton’” https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jul/05/industrial-revolution-iron-method-taken-from-jama

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