Antigua and Barbuda’s steady tourism rebound continues for yet another month. Stayover tourism arrivals for July 2022 have topped the July 2019 pre-pandemic record.
The Antigua and Barbuda Ministry of Tourism is reporting a growth in arrivals of seven per cent for the month of July against benchmark year 2019. During the month, Antigua and Barbuda welcomed 24,673 visitors to the destination, an increase over last year’s 23,405 and the 2019 record of 23,031.
“For a second year, we are experiencing a healthy summer season as consumer travel confidence grows and travellers make the decision to take that long-awaited vacation or previously delayed trip,” said Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Tourism, Charles Fernandez.
“In July, we saw a notable increase in group travel that contributed significantly to our growth, with one group from the US bringing in approximately 500 visitors travelling to enjoy our summer events. We are optimistic that we will maintain this strong position of growth into August,” he added.
An influx of visitors from the United States contributed to the increase with arrivals 30 per cent higher than in July 2019. Approximately 13,305 of Antigua and Barbuda’s tourists travelled by air from the United States in July, 3,000-plus than those seen in July 2019.
There was also growth within the UK market, with an increase of 272 British visitors to the destination leading to a five per cent increase in tourism arrivals for the month over 2019. Arrivals stood at 5,650 in comparison to the 5,378 in 2019.
Arrivals from Canada grew by one per cent while the Caribbean market saw a decline of 19 per cent.
During the summer month, the Antigua and Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association reported occupancies of 63 per cent across a sample of their hotel members.
In July, 9,678 visitors stayed at hotels, while 11,487 patronised guest houses and apartments/villas.
The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority is attributing the seven per cent growth in air arrivals for the month July 2022, when compared to July 2019, to increased airlift, aggressive destination marketing, easy travel protocols, enthusiasm amongst consumers to return to travel, and their eagerness to once again participate in Antigua’s summer carnival.
“Antigua and Barbuda is presently listed amongst the top 10 Caribbean destinations leading the Caribbean tourism recovery efforts,” noted CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, Colin C James.
“With good month-on-month growth and our overall tourism arrivals for the year to date only 16 per cent less than the 2019 figures, Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism rebound prospects are looking positive, particularly when we consider global tourism forecasts. For the fall, our teams will continue to focus on closing the gap and achieving full recovery,” he added.
Overall, total stayover arrivals for the period January – July 2022 (YTD), stand at 154,099. This is a 91 per cent increase over the 2021 comparison of 80,509 and a 16 per cent narrowing of the gap of the 2019 January – July totals that stood at 184,465.
