Antigua and Barbuda shatters tourism records with over 1.1M visitors in 2024

Antigua and Barbuda is celebrating record-breaking visitor arrivals in 2024 as the island welcomed more than 330,281 stay over visitors for the year and more than 823,955 cruise passengers. With these numbers, the island has surpassed previous records and the 2019 pre-covid benchmark year.  

The development was shared by the tourism ministry, and they celebrated 2024 as an exceptional year for tourism in Antigua and Barbuda during a ‘Year in Review’ Press conference earlier this week.  

US Market led growth in stayover arrivals 

Sharing the figures, Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez said that the United States market led the growth in stayover arrivals, with robust performances also from the United Kingdom and Europe, Caribbean & LATAM as well as Canada markets.  

Minister Fernandez said that the growth in 2024 is a direct result of the efforts to boost connectivity, positioning Antigua and Barbuda as a regional hub with two global airports. He added that the ministry has plans to expand the hotel and accommodation offerings, invest in the human capital and stay on top of the game.  

The Minister also recognized all the work that has been done by the teams at the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority and the Ministry of Tourism and to the stakeholders whose partnerships and dedication have made this huge success possible.  

Antigua and Barbuda experienced major expansion in airlift in 2024 

He also announced that the island nation saw major expansion in airlift during the past year with increased service from Delta, American Airlines and JetBlue and also celebrated the return of Condor airlines along with the introduction of Sunrise Airways. International carrier British Airways also increased their service to the destination. 

Moreover, the Hotels and Tourism Association reported increased hotel occupancy last year, exceeding that of 2019. Minister Charles Fernandez said that this highlights the increasing demand for the accommodation product in Antigua and Barbuda.  

The cruise sector also flourished as there was an increase in homeporting operations led by the Antigua Cruise Port with further expansion anticipated this year.  

Meanwhile, CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority Colin C James lauded the achievements and said that 2025 promises even more with the first quarter of the year set to bring increased cruise calls for the island nation and more airlift as Frontier is set to launch its inaugural San Juan to Antigua service on February 15, 2025.  

Antigua and Barbuda Culinary Month 

CEO James said that foodies with be tantalized during a new Antigua and Barbuda Culinary Month this May as there will be an expansion of culinary events including Antigua and Barbuda Restaurant Week, Food Forum and Eat Like A Local, FAB Fest and more. He said that this move is aimed at making Antigua and Barbuda a new culinary hotspot in the Caribbean region.  

He emphasised that from an exciting Culinary Month to celebrating the 300th anniversary of Nelson’s Dockyard and for the first time ever the island nation will be playing host to the Caribbean Hotels and Tourism Association’s Caribbean Travel Marketplace from May 18 to 22, 2025, becoming a packed year for Antigua and Barbuda.