By Robert A. Emmanuel
Having become not only the first mother-daughter duo, but also the first black Caribbean women to become space tourists, the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority is hoping to enhance the name of Antigua and Barbuda through Keisha Schahaff and Anastasia Mayers.
CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, Colin James, spoke on the Big Issues yesterday about the plans that his agency’s plans in that regard.
“First and foremost, we discussed with our team to have some kind of monument where we could celebrate that achievement…which is historic not just for Antigua and Barbuda, but the entire region for what our women are achieving,” he said.
Aboard Virgin Galactic, touching the boundaries of space, Keisha Schahaff and Anastasia Mayers had experienced what few people from the Caribbean —and fewer Antiguans—could only dream of experiencing.
Their story was reported by international media across the world as people watched the Antiguan flag branded across Anastasia’s suit, becoming a lasting memory.
James said that he hoped to utilise Keisha’s interest in the wellness industry to highlight the island as a wellness destination.
“We have four strategic pillars that we balance our marketing on: yachting, heritage and culture, romance, and wellness, so to be able to utilise the wellness aspect of the destination and what she does as a wellness counsellor is remarkable,” James noted.
James said that the details would need to be discussed in concert with Schahaff and Mayers as the agency hoped to be respectful towards them and not seek to exploit their achievement.
Hundreds of Antiguans—particularly youth—came out to the Antigua Recreation Grounds to celebrate the moment.
The Tourism Authority CEO spoke about the importance of showcasing that support last week.
“We looked at the young people who were part of the STEM program to get them at the stadium, to ensure that we got as many people out as possible; we ordered thousands of flags to be distributed, and thousands of fans of Keisha and Anastasia [wanted] keepsakes,” he said.
He added that this moment gave Antigua and Barbuda a “unique opportunity” to establish the national flag as a brand and said it was one of the proudest moments in his career in the tourism industry.
“The fact that your flag sells out on Amazon, the fact that you are trending [on social media], the fact that you are picked up by hundreds of news outlets…tells you something,” he said.
