by Brian Major
Last updated: 12:15 AM ET, Tue June 4, 2019
Government officials in Antigua and Barbuda last week signed an agreement with Royal Caribbean International to significantly increase the company's calls to the dual-island nation and explore land-side locations to "potentially establish, invest and develop experiences to enhance the destination offerings."
Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited has also entered into a "simultaneous" agreement with cruise port developer and operator Global Ports Holding Plc., said Charles "Max" Fernandez, Antigua and Barbuda's minister of tourism, in a statement published in local news reports.
Under the memorandum of understanding, the agreement will include a strategy to double annual passenger arrivals to 500,000 visitors within five years, beginning with the construction of a fifth berth at Antigua's Heritage and Redcliffe Quay cruise pier and terminal in St. John's.
In addition, Royal Caribbean executives will travel to Antigua to "explore several locations to potentially establish, invest and develop experiences to enhance the destination offerings" as part of the agreement.
The pact also includes a strategy to bring 30,000 passengers to Antigua during the traditionally slow summer months, in addition to the regular winter schedule. The plan would also be contingent on completion of a fifth berth.
Royal Caribbean will also deploy its 6,000-passenger Oasis-class ships, the industry's largest, on regular Antigua calls following completion of the new berth. Antigua will also increase its passenger head tax beginning in October, said officials in the statement.
Finally, Royal Caribbean will partner with the government to develop shipboard job opportunities for Antigua and Barbuda residents.
"Antigua and Barbuda stands at the forefront to becoming the number one destination in the Caribbean, upon completion of our cruise port facility," said Fernandez, who described the cruise industry as "an integral part" of Antigua and Barbuda tourism.
"The teams from the ministry of tourism, the Antigua Port Authority and the ministry of legal affairs…all worked tirelessly in the interest of getting the best deal for Antigua and Barbuda," Fernandez added.
The agreement will "bring millions of guests to Antigua over the next 10 years," said Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean's president and CEO. "We look forward to having more of our guests enjoy the beauty of Antigua and Barbuda for many years to come and we are also looking forward to working with our partner, Global Ports Holdings in completing the Antiguan project."
Fernandez said Antigua and Barbuda has invested more than $110 million dollars in the St. John's cruise facilities. The upcoming investment by Global Port Holdings Limited and Royal Caribbean Cruise Limited will bring the total investment to $200 million.
The dual-island nation extended a two-year trend of higher tourist arrivals early this year. Antigua and Barbuda hosted 27,301visitors in April 2019, a 17.1 year-over-year increase compared with April 2018, said Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority (ABTA) officials.
Meanwhile, Antigua and Barbuda's visitor air arrivals through April totaled 117,920 travelers, an 8.6 percent year-over-year compared with the same period in 2018.
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