Antigua and Barbuda saw a 10 percent increase in total stayover air arrivals in May as the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority (ABTA) runs the #WhatCoolLooksLike summer campaign, the organization reports.
Minister of Tourism Charles Fernandez also pointed to new hotel openings and local events, such as the Optimist World Championships, as driving growth.
June and July provisional figures are also reflecting double digit increases when compared to the same months of 2018, the Tourism Authority said. According to the provisional figures, for the year up to July, Antigua and Barbuda received a 10 percent increase in overall stayover air arrivals with 187,701 visitors.
The Tourism Minister noted that this uptick would be on top of strong year over year growth in 2018, when the destination saw an increase of 171,147 visitors from January to July versus 159,764 visitors for the same period in 2017.
The #WhatCoolLooksLike Campaign was designed to run during the destination’s traditional shoulder season from May – October, with the aim of expanding its appeal beyond a winter destination. The #WhatCoolLooksLike Campaign activations within the U.S., UK, Caribbean and Canadian Markets spanned TV, radio, digital, social media, print, PR and outdoor.
The U.S. market, the UK and Europe market and the Caribbean market continue to show growth for the year up to July 2019. The destination is also acquiring new market share, as arrivals from other countries and emerging markets have increased. Though arrivals from Canada experienced a slight decline due to a significant reduction in airlift, ABTA CEO Colin C. James said that the organization is combating the decrease with a number of activities planned with airline partners.
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