Antigua & Barbuda: One Million Tourists So Far in 2018

The tourism in Antigua and Barbuda increases in significant way after 2017 hurricane. These two destinations have seen in significant growth so far in 2018, with a more than 7 percent increase compared to the first half of 2017.

Antigua reported 148,139 visitors in the first six months of 2018, with large increases in key source markets including the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Antigua and Barbuda Minister of Tourism and Investment, Charles ‘Max’ Fernandez said that they are excited by this positive momentum in terms of growth of tourist arrivals, both by cruise and air.

The United States of America is showing 14.35 percent growth in arrivals to Antigua, while Canada saw a whopping 170 percent increase in arrivals this year.

The growth of tourism comes as Antigua and Barbuda is about to get a major improve with an additional daily nonstop flight out of Miami on American Airlines, along with new direct service out of both New York and Canada.

This is all part of what has been rapid development for the destination, which has become one of the Caribbean’s major hubs for hotel investment in the last several years, attracting new projects from brands including Rosewood, Waldorf Astoria, Best Western Premier and Marriott, among others.

The most anticipated just might be that of Elegant Hotels, the Barbados-based company that is spearheading the exciting new Hodges Bay project. The five-star Hodges Bay is planning an October debut (Caribbean Journal got an exclusive look at Hodges Bay last month).

Last year, Antigua and Barbuda welcomed more than 1 million sea and air arrivals combined, a record for the destination. It all adds up to one of the Caribbean’s hottest destinations, from an enviable collection all-inclusive to some seriously spectacular beaches (365 of them, in fact) and an emerging culinary scene.