Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez says around 80% of management positions at hotels in the country are filled by locals.

He recently requested an analysis and records from the top hotels in the region to verify this information, which was found to be true.

“I asked for the analysis to be done, and contrary to what people say, 80% of management positions of hotels are locals, and we would love for it to be 100%”, he said

Fernandez also praised the performance of local employees in the hospitality industry, stating that it is second to none.

He said most of these managers are in human resource development

In addition to this, he mentioned that even the taxi operators in the region have been recognized for their excellent service and were awarded as the second best in the world.

This, according to him, is a testament to the high standards of customer service and professionalism maintained in Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism industry.