Prime Minister Spencer said he wants a “new brand” of Tourism for Antigua & Barbuda. How do you propose to achieve this?

We have been assisting a branding seminar and now we are recruiting technical experts from all over the world so we can put our heads together and come up with the re-branding of our Tourism industry.

What niche market are you focused on?

We are focusing on middle and high class tourism and looking at the development of 3 to 5-star operations.

Once the branding and the niche market has been formulated and identified, what will be the next step?

We are currently identifying key markets, which would definitely include the European market. Meanwhile, the US market remains also one of ours biggest supporters, so it goes without saying that we want to maintain and increase arrivals from the United States.

Once we have defined our targets, we plan to draw in the market by employing a public relations agency to advise us on how to market and finance our national product.

Although there is a regional Caribbean branding image, every island is also trying to set itself apart. Can this be seen as collaboration, competition or both?

Antigua & Barbuda was one of the first in the countries of the Caribbean that started to develop its tourism industry. Yet because of the poor management of the former government, we currently find ourselves in the middle of the pack.

The new government is intent on rebuilding the tourism industry. We have two islands, Antigua and Barbuda – each is different from the other and therefore we have to brand Barbuda differently from Antigua. Barbuda has a low density of development, with a natural environment and some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. So we want to maintain it and avoid further development which might destroy its natural beauty. This means that Barbuda will definitely be branded in another way than Antigua.

American hotel chains do not have a strong presence in the Caribbean. Do you think it is time for them to establish themselves here?

Yes indeed, we are inviting them to come. I have met with several of the major hotel chains, and there are quite a number of interesting development projects which are in a very good position to be finalized within the next two years. By the 2006-2007 season we believe that we will have increased our room capacity substantially – we are currently looking at a total capacity of 3500 rooms, and we are aiming to reach a total capacity of 7000 rooms by 2007. We are also training new staff, which is essential in order to anticipate new hotel openings.

The tourism sector actually represents 85% of your country’s GDP, which is the highest percentage of all the Caribbean islands. How can you make sure you do not fail?

We have no other option but to succeed. We have no oil, bauxite or other resources. We have to make sure that people understand this – in Antigua & Barbuda, tourism is everybody’s business. Therefore, the Ministry of Tourism is the engine of growth of the islands.

What are the major infrastructure projects your government is preparing?

When it comes to highways we are now putting road signs and paying attention to the secondary roads that link villages to the main highway. We are also taking a look at the education system and we are restructuring the schools so that they can function properly. We are also working to prepare a master plan for the airport, which includes an expansion of the airport to accommodate more arrivals in the near future.

What is your biggest success so far, and what do you consider to be your biggest challenge ahead?

Our biggest success so far is seeing through the establishment of the investment promotion agency. Through the support of the new government we have seen a drastic change in the investment environment in Antigua. Since the arrival of the new government, we have seen several investors arriving thanks to the increased interest in the country. The government is working hard to increase transparency, integrity and international corporate governance laws. The government’s plan to stimulate economic growth is there and we believe that it will not only come from the public sector but also from private investors.

I have also seen a clear increase of tourism arrivals in the last six months. Our confidence is back and we are working to hold the FCCA [Florida Caribbean Cruise Association] conference & trade show in 2007, which could attract almost two thousand people to the island. It is challenging but I am confident that we will succeed.

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