Air arrivals have broken records compared to 2019

It’s definitely exciting to see the tourism industry in Antigua and Barbuda thriving.

The increase in tourist arrivals by air and the consistent occupancy levels are positive indicators for the country’s tourism sector.

The fact that the figures for the first three months of 2024 have already exceeded those for the same period in 2019 is very promising.

This growth reflects the appeal of Antigua and Barbuda as a tourist destination and the effectiveness of the country’s tourism strategies.

The data indicates that the occupancy levels in March of this year remained consistent with those of the previous year, at 82.00 percent compared to 82.04 percent. However, there was an eight percent increase when compared to 2019.

The majority of visitors, 84 percent, chose to stay in hotels (46%), guest houses (25%), and villas (13%), while the rest opted for private homes.

In terms of arrivals, there was a 14 percent increase compared to 2019, with a total of 35,345 arrivals in March 2024 compared to 30,854 in March 2019.

The United States continues to be the primary source market, accounting for roughly half of the visitors, with 17,674 arrivals.

This is slightly higher than the 43% of all visitors in March 2019, which amounted to 13,224.

Other key source markets include the UK (22%), Canada (14%), the Caribbean (8%), and miscellaneous other sources (6%), with Italy contributing 1%.

Overall, the figures for the first three months of 2024 have already surpassed those for the same period in 2019, with a total of 97,341 arrivals compared to 90,766 in 2019.