Antigua and Barbuda home porting hits 20,000 passengers, up from 6,000 in three years

Antigua and Barbuda has successfully concluded its home porting season, recording a total of 20,000 turnaround passengers which is a significant increased from just 6,000 recorded three years ago.  

While sharing the numbers, the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority said that this growth underscores the expanding role of the island as a home porting hub in the Caribbean region with further plans to expand its cruise tourism infrastructure.  

Speaking on The Browne and Browne Show, the General Manager of Global Ports Holding Antigua, Gasper George emphasized the steady expansion of home porting, especially with P&O Cruises’ Arvia which has played a significant role in driving passenger numbers. 

George said that when Antigua started home porting three years ago, the island had 6,000 turnaround passengers and today, it is concluding the home porting season with an average of 20,000. He further added that the island intends to continue growing these numbers by next year.  

Notably, home porting allows passengers to begin and end their cruise in Antigua which provides major economic benefits as visitors usually arrive early or extend their stays utilizing local hotels, taxis, restaurants and other services before or after their voyage.  

George further highlighted the major factors which led to growth of homeporting in Antigua. These included expanded port capacity including the 5th berth which has the capacity to accommodate larger vessels along with strategic collaboration with major international cruise lines, especially P&O Cruises, increased airlift connectivity which brought more passengers to Antigua ahead of their cruises as well as increasing interest from European cruise lines positioning the island as a preferred home port in the region.  

Furthermore, the General Manager said that in order to build on this momentum, the government along with the Global Ports Holding are moving forward with significant upgrades to enhance passenger experiences and attract more cruise lines. He is now looking forward to welcoming more passengers through home porting next year.