US Tourism Market Rebounds

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Tourism News

Wednesday, 15 August 2012 02:30

By caribarena news

Antigua St. John’s - Stay-over arrivals from the United States are on target to surpass 2008 figures.

Director of Antigua & Barbuda's Tourism Office in the US Derede Samuel-Whitlock said 15 per cent growth was recorded for the January-June period.
 
While she was unable to give the figure for the same period last year, she did indicate there were about 85,000 stay-over visitors from the US market for the entire 2011.
 
Samuel-Whitlock credits the improvement to more creative promotion despite a significant reduction in the marketing budget, increased airlift and the introduction of new hotel properties.
 
She stayed clear of speculating whether this could mean the country has rebounded from the economic slump.
 
"I think it's still too soon to say. With the elections coming up that's going to be a major factor however it turns out. Regardless of who is selected the tone of the government in the United States will shift. Budgetary strategies will have to change so I think it's still too early to say what's going to happen," the tourism director said.
 
The US numbers have begun to dip, as expected, due to the off season.
 

Airline seats are fewer during this period and hotels often close or reduce operations to facilitate repairs.
 
Samuel-Whitlock believes the time is opportune for the country to introduce a programme similar to what is done in the Cayman Islands where hotels and other tourism-dependent businesses pool resources to offer attractive discounts.
 
She said this is far more than what entails in the Staycations Programme that encourages residents to take their vacations at home.
 
"This would pool all of the offers together into a promotion that creates an exciting incentive for people to experience Antigua. What I'm talking about is all the hotels coming together to perhaps offer the fifth night free, air credits...it takes money to do it but when you look at the competition, they're going beyond that," Samuel-Whitlock said.
 
The US and the UK are Antigua & Barbuda's two main source markets.

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