Antigua, Barbuda Report 12 Percent Increase in Overnight Visits

The twin Caribbean islands of Antigua and Barbuda hosted 26,030 overnight tourist arrivals in the first quarter of 2010, a 12 percent increase over the same period in 2009, said John Maginley, Antigua and Barbuda minister of tourism. Year-to-date annual arrivals totaled 71,238, a 1.2 percent increase over 2009.

The first-quarter totals include increased overnight arrivals in four of the destination’s six largest source markets: the U.S., Canada, Italy and Germany. The most significant increase originated from the U.S. and Canada, making North America Antigua and Barbuda’s largest source market, said Maginley.

“The focus on increasing airlift from the U.S.A. has proven to be right on target. We want to ensure that the cost of travel to the destination remains competitive to allow us to deliver more value,” he added. Antigua and Barbuda have secured increased airlift from key North American gateways through aggressive marketing by the Antigua & Barbuda Tourist Board, said Derede Samuel Whitlock, U.S. tourism director.