Air Arrivals Reach New Record in Antigua and Barbuda

• Antigua and Barbuda's tourism sector saw a record number of air arrivals in April 2024, up 7.8% relative to pre-pandemic levels. The Minister of Tourism reported to Cabinet that, 126,000 air arrivals from January to April 2024, surpassing the previous record of 118,000 arrivals during the same period in 2019.
• These impressive figures exclude arrivals from the 4th International Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Conference and the ICC T20 World Cup. This implies that the figure would likely be higher once reviewed.
• The United States remains the primary source market for visitors, followed by the UK, Canada, and the Caribbean.
• Antigua and Barbuda’s economy has sustained robust growth following the pandemic and is now expected to build on this in 2024. The dual-island is expected to grow by 4.75% this year, after growing by 3.86% in 2023. Notably, real economic activity is forecasted to return to pre-pandemic levels this year, driven by a rebound in tourism and construction activity - the two major contributors to GDP
(Sources: Loop Caribbean News & NCBCM Research)