Over 400 passengers from the French neighboring island Guadeloupe arrived in Antigua and Barbuda last weekend on the L’Express des Îles ferry, following its return last year.

After a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Guadeloupe-based ferry arrived in Antigua in December carrying 415 passengers.

And on Saturday gone, 427 passengers from Guadeloupe arrived at the Nevis Street Pier.

The visitors were welcomed with steel pan music, dancers, and a cultural show organized by the Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority in collaboration with the Antigua & Barbuda Festivals Commission and Antigua Cruise Port.

The passengers were also given flyers promoting Antigua’s Carnival, which is July 27- August 8.

Charmaine Spencer, Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority Director for the Caribbean & Latin American Markets, encouraged the French visitors to return to participate in Antigua’s carnival celebrations this summer.

“It (the ferry) is a great way for us to build our interregional travel and tourism,” she said.

Meanwhile, Antigua Cruise Port General Manager, Dona Regis- Prosper said, “With our increased port capacity and focus on service quality, we can now accommodate more ferries. We are pleased to partner with the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority and the Festivals Commission in creating the initial port-side welcome and look forward to future calls. As the Cruise Port Operator, we are always looking for ways to increase visitation to Antigua via the cruise port. We believe that ferries present an excellent option for interregional travel that can positively impact the port and destination.”

L’Express des Îles, according to the tourism authority, is “already been fully booked for its return to Antigua on May 18. The ferry will also visit in July and December”