What can you tell us about your strategy for the development of the tourism sector and what are the main challenges that still remain?

There are three main objectives that I have set for myself as Minister for Tourism: new tourism investments, increased airlift, and the redevelopment of the port and city of St. John’s. Regarding new tourism investments, our intention is to double the current room stock of about 3,500 in the net 18 to 24 months. Along with new rooms comes the necessity to increase airlift. It is impossible to increase arrivals without sufficient, affordable, and convenient air access. We opened a new international airport in the fall of 2015, and we now have the capacity to welcome 2 million visitors per year. In terms of cruise tourism, redeveloping the port and city of St. John’s is a top priority. We have just unveiled the extension of Heritage Quay Pier, which can now take the Quantum class ships carrying over 4,000 cruise passengers. Phase two of this plan will see the complete redevelopment of the downtown city of St John’s to return it to the marquee status it once enjoyed in the cruise industry. Our aim is to surpass the 1Million target for cruise passengers in the next 2-3 years.

How is tourism infrastructure and services being expanded to handle the increase flow of visitors?

First and foremost, VC Bird International Airport was opened just over a year ago, and is the largest and most modern airport in the Eastern Caribbean. We have added five new airlines since opening up the new airport last September. There are over 300,000 seats available each year into the destination, with direct flights from New York, New Jersey, Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, London, Frankfurt, Milan, and every Caribbean territory. This, alongside other many other factors, have contributed to the new airport being voted second best in the entire Caribbean. It has undoubtedly contributed to growth that we have been experiencing in visitor arrivals.
We have also extended the Heritage Quay Pier, allowing for more disembarkation points for passengers, making the arrival and departures for cruise guests efficient and seamless.
On-island, we are improving the roads and street signage as well as the signage at our historic sites. We also have ensured that our country has robust telecommunications and ICT infrastructure, meaning many companies now offer complimentary Wi-Fi to their guests.

What is being done to ensure that tourism growth is sustainable and environmentally responsible?

Antigua and Barbuda has adopted a strategy to establish a completely sustainable tourism program and maintain Barbuda’s status as the greenest island in the region. The plan is to ensure 100% of the power supply on Barbuda is derived from renewable sources.
A simple step we have taken to protect the environment is banning plastic bags. We are the first nation in the region to ban the use of plastic bags.
Other initiatives include converting the building which houses the Ministry of Tourism to full solar power, and the installation of a 3-megawatt solar photovoltaic farm at the new airport. This makes our airport one of the most environmentally friendly in the world, with 80% of its power coming from renewable sources. We are continuing to invest in solar energy, because we see it as integral to the future success of our country. Many of our schools are being run on solar energy, and we will be opening a new solar photovoltaic farm by the end of 2017 that will allow even more businesses, schools, and homes to run on renewable energy.

How are the country’s cultural and natural treasures being marketed to the international community?

Antigua and Barbuda is rich in historical national treasures, as evidenced by Nelson’s Dockyard and Park being named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016. In addition to consistently promoting our beaches, activities, gastronomy and historical landmarks, we have also been creating new tours to highlight everything Antigua and Barbuda has to offer. Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta is celebrating 30 years, Sailing Week is celebrating its 50th Anniversary and Carnival will be celebrating its 60th Anniversary. All of these events are being promoted to our core markets. All signs indicate that these events are poised for record-breaking attendances this year.

What tourism development projects do you believe are important to highlight and how will they impact the sector?

We believe that the most important tourism projects we have to highlight are the strides we are making in sustainable tourism, our development of St John’s and the port, new property developments, and outreach to the romance market.
The plan we have for St John’s pier will include a total transformation of the port that will cement Antigua’s position as the port of choice in the Caribbean. The developments will include world-class casinos, cafes, restaurants, hotels, condominiums and designer shops. To reinforce the cultural and experiential aspects, the plan includes three distinct town squares, new monuments and a trolley car system to seamlessly and expeditious move our visitors around the city. It also includes a 6-acre transformation that will include 6 cruise piers and 159,000 square feet of new retail, vendor, food and beverage dedicated space. It will be the Caribbean’s best example of a historic colonial downtown modernized for the 21st Century.

The CIP has proved to be an invaluable tool when attracting FDI. What can you tell us about your investment tourism approach?

The CIP Program has also been one of the main channels for attracting investment in new properties. Since taking office, our Cabinet approved a number of private investment projects valued in excess of US $3 billion.
Additionally, in 2016 we announced the joint venture launch of Golden Island Filmworks Ltd, and independent feature film finance and production entity run by producer Rudy Langlais. This arrangement serves as an unprecedented film financing model that taps into funds generated by the CIP, and will result in an initial slate of five films being produced in Antigua and Barbuda. This is another business investment opportunity as well as introducing a new industry to Antigua and Barbuda, and opportunity to showcase our beautiful islands as a backdrop in these films to entice viewers to visit.