Business View Caribbean October/November 2018

66 67 MINISTRY OF TOURISM & INVESTMENT ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA three-star Royalton will open around Feb. 2019 with over 400 rooms. The five-star Hodges Bay Club will open at the end of 2018 with more than 100 rooms. Plus, the Waldorf Astoria has broken ground and the Marriot should start construction towards the end of this year. “In terms of airlift, American Airlines has one additional flight coming out of Miami and another from Atlanta starting in November. We have Virgin and British Airways coming out of the U.K. and linking most of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.We also have two airlines from Canada: Air Canada, celebrating their 16th anniversary with Antigua at the end of this year; and Sunwing has been great for us because they have their own aircraft and they’re investing in their own hotel properties here. That’s guaranteed visitors. “We’ve reached out in a big way to market Antigua and Barbuda in the islands. As a result, we had 200 persons from Guadeloupe come for Carnival in July, and we’ve seen positive growth in visitor arrivals within the Caribbean. In fact, Trini- dad saw the need to add a daily flight to Antigua from Port Au Spain.We’re also in early discussions with the Ministry of Finance to address tax issues related to airlift in the region. If that goes well, we anticipate more visits from the Caribbean, especially in the slower summer months.” BVC: What sort of infrastructure investments are in the works to attract busi- ness? Minister Fernandez: “Two years ago, we opened the new V.C. Bird International Airport, with air bridges. That’s the most modern facility in the region. Our cargo port is just starting. And we’re in negotiations for our cruise port, looking to spend another $US75 million to put in a fifth pier and build out more product on the land side. Speaking of the cruise aspect, there is a property opposite the cruise pier at Fort James Beach and we’ve already advanced plans to put a water park there.We’ll also be upgrading the Fort, which has been earmarked as a National Heritage Site. “We’re making a lot of effort to enhance our airlift and sealift; 2017 was a record-breaking year for air-based and cruise passengers.