DNA Candidate says develop St. Paul as tourism-hub

Promises to develop the home of Nelson’s Dockyard into a tourism-hub have not come true, said the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) candidate for the St. Paul constituency.
Gameal Joyce, businessman and aspiring politician, said that, in his opinion, St. Paul is the “main tourism hub in Antigua and Barbuda,” and “past administrations have fallen a little short on managing these sites.”
He named the cultural heritage sites in that constituency and in other areas, such as Fort James, as examples of places that are potential tourist attractions but have not received much attention.
However, during his interview on OBSERVER Radio’s morning programme, Joyce said that the National Parks Authority has played a significant role in maintaining and managing the Dockyard area. Noting that Falmouth and English Harbour are still residential areas, they have limited expansion potential. But he predicts that someone with “true vision” can make a difference.
“Accommodations is a major problem in that area,” he said, “and we would have to put certain things in place, like a polyclinic, if we expect to truly expand the sector in that area.”
Joyce said any attempt to advertise the St. Paul community as its own town must include entrepreneurs. “It’s more about investing in the people around the area, and through that investment we will be able to build-up our tourism product a little more.”
 
(More in today’s Daily Observer)