Business View Caribbean l Feb 2023

25 26 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 10, ISSUE 2 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 10, ISSUE 2 ANT IGUA MINI STRY OF TOUR I SM & INVESTMENT Minister Fernanadez: The offices you mention represent our key source markets, but we are now looking to explore new markets like Africa and Asia. These outpost offices give us regular feedback to keep us updated on trends. For example, during COVID, we needed to know what our visitors were looking for when they traveled. They also tell us the best advertising medium for that market, what we can do to attract more visitors, and what they are concerned about. For example, when we reopened in 2020, our theme was to visit Antigua and experience its 365 beaches, where you can have a beach almost to yourself, and social distancing would be no problem. Another area we are improving based on feedback from these offices is access for persons with disabilities. We are working on enhancing accessibility for people who want to travel but experience limited places that are accessible to them. Business View Magazine: As we conclude, what is the number one direction the Ministry of Tourism would like things to go in over the next 3 to 4 years? Minister Fernanadez: Some of the questions we want to address over this time are: how do we improve the environment? What can we do to have more places controlled by national parks? How can we use more alternative energy in our hotels? Ultimately, we want to ensure as many people in Antigua and Barbuda become stakeholders in the tourism industry, not just through employment but also as entrepreneurs, running small businesses. We want to see how much we can expand this composite vision and make it a reality.