L’Express des Îles ferry arrived at the Nevis Street Pier on Saturday bringing 427 passengers from Guadeloupe to Antigua Cruise Port.
The Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority in collaboration with the Antigua & Barbuda Festivals Commission and Antigua Cruise Port welcomed the visitors along the pier with a cultural show inclusive of steel pan music, dancers, and traditional characters.
The passengers were also given flyers promoting Antigua’s Carnival, which is July 27- August 8. Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority Director for the Caribbean & Latin American Markets, Charmaine Spencer said, “Our biggest draw for the summer would be Antigua’s Carnival and we are encouraging these visitors to come back.” She also said, “It (the ferry) is a great way for us to build our interregional travel and tourism.”
Antigua Cruise Port General Manager, Dona Regis- Prosper said, “With our increased port capacity and focus on service quality, we can now accommodate more ferries. We are pleased to partner with the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority and the Festivals Commission in creating the initial port-side welcome and look forward to future calls. As the Cruise Port Operator, we are always looking for ways to increase visitation to Antigua via the cruise port. We believe that ferries present an excellent option for interregional travel that can positively impact the port and destination.”
L’Express des Îles currently transports passengers embarking in Guadeloupe for chartered day trips.
The vessel has already been fully booked for its return to Antigua on May 18. The ferry will also visit in July and December.