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Colin James
Officials at the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority are anxiously awaiting the full implementation of the Electronic Immigration Cards.
Chief Executive Officer Colin James told state TV this will significantly improve data collection lead to more acute marketing and promotional efforts.
“We are actually focusing a lot on our data capture and our data gathering, with the new system shortly to be introduced for the paperless entry into Antigua and Barbuda at our borders.
“We’re going to be securing and controlling the borders. But most importantly for us, from the tourism authority standpoint, we are actually very well embedded in the decision making so that the data that we can capture will allow us to be very focused and very strategic in our marketing,” James explained.
According to the Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda, an e-form is likely to be required of everyone traveling to Antigua, replacing the E/D cards which are now filled-out by all persons entering.
The e-form will be inputted at the embarkation point and the information transmitted to V.C. Bird International; the contact with Immigration and Customs will be severely limited.
James notes the information visitors provide will be incorporated in the ABTA’s marketing strategy.
“We will know down to zip codes where our visitors are coming from. We know which demographics in those zip codes spend more money, their total income, what they like, what they don’t like. And so being able to harness that data, you can make informed business decisions,” he said.
Ministry of Tourism needs a new CEO and marketing team, including a government minister. Government is pumping too much money in marketing and Antigua and Barbuda brand; however, the country infrastructures are poorly maintained, especially the roadways, the streets and gutters in St John’s city, the water situation and the healthcare. St Kitts & Nevis and St Martin’s are smaller than A&B, yet they receive more tourists annually.