The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority (ABTA) is projecting a five percent growth in tourist arrivals by air during the upcoming summer months.
Speaking at a recent press conference, ABTA’s Chief Executive Officer Colin James said achieving this level of growth will require key stakeholders in the tourism industry to collaborate with the authority in its summer campaign.
“The ability of [the summer campaign] to succeed is just getting the resources we need in a timely manner and executing all the campaigns and the strategies that we said we will be doing. It is incumbent on us to get the buy-in from all the partners and it is already communicated that everyone is willing to work and support this summer campaign,” he said.
The five percent growth projection is expected to equate to 5,000 new air arrivals during May through October. Incoming chairperson of the ABTA Board of Directors, Lorraine Headley-Raeburn, said the increase in air arrivals was projected to inject US $12 million into the Antigua and Barbuda economy.
“We actually did some projections in terms of the numbers that we expect to make as a result of the campaign based on previous ones done by the Tourism Authority. [Based on previous] spending of each
visitor on island, for the US $1 million we would invest in this campaign – if we were to see 5,000 growth [in visitors] – we would be looking at US $12 million that we would see on island spend across the destination,” she said.
The projected growth is part of the ABTA’s summer campaign initiative through which the Tourism Authority hopes to highlight various activities in Antigua and Barbuda that are geared towards health and wellness, yachting and romance.