Tourism Minister Charles “Max” Fernandez has announced plans for a comprehensive tourism carrying capacity study to determine how much visitor growth Antigua and Barbuda can sustainably accommodate.

Speaking at the opening of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority’s Marketing Strategy Meetings, Fernandez said the study has become increasingly urgent as the country expands its airlift, cruise traffic, hotel room stock and tourism investments.

“We do not want growth for growth’s sake; we want smart growth,” Fernandez said.

The study is expected to provide empirical data on the capacity of the country’s beaches, attractions, infrastructure, communities and natural resources to support continued tourism expansion without compromising residents’ quality of life or the visitor experience.

Fernandez warned that Antigua and Barbuda must take proactive steps to avoid the growing backlash against overtourism being experienced in parts of Europe and Asia.

He said tourism marketing could no longer focus exclusively on increasing visitor arrivals. Instead, the country must attract the right visitors, generate greater economic value and ensure more of the money earned from tourism remains within Antigua and Barbuda.

“The question before us can no longer simply be how many more visitors we can attract,” Fernandez said.

“We must also ask what value those visitors are bringing into our economy, how much of that value remains in Antigua and Barbuda, how our communities are benefiting and whether our attractions, beaches, infrastructure and natural resources can sustainably accommodate our growth.”

The minister said the country must also protect the environmental, cultural and historical assets that make it attractive to visitors.

“Our beaches, reefs, coastlines, heritage, cuisine, music, sailing traditions, communities and, of course, our people are not simply components of our tourism product,” he said. “We cannot successfully market what we fail to protect.”

Fernandez called for sustainability to influence how tourism developments are approved, how investments are made, how the destination is promoted and how the industry’s success is measured.

He said Antigua and Barbuda was entering the discussion from a position of strength, having expanded its accommodation sector, invested in airport and cruise infrastructure, increased its international visibility and developed new visitor experiences.

However, he cautioned that strong tourism performance brings additional responsibilities and requires careful long-term planning.

Fernandez also encouraged tourism officials to pursue higher-value sectors, including the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions market, commonly known as MICE.

He congratulated the Tourism Authority’s United States office for joining the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence and welcomed the certification of the destination’s first certified incentive specialist.

According to Fernandez, the MICE market can help diversify Antigua and Barbuda’s visitor base, increase business outside traditional leisure travel periods and attract travellers who may later return with their families.

The minister stressed that the future of tourism would depend heavily on cooperation among the Government, Tourism Authority, overseas marketing offices, airlines, hotels, taxi operators, vendors, tour operators, restaurateurs, artisans, entertainers and local communities.

He said the warmth of the people remains one of Antigua and Barbuda’s most powerful tourism assets, something that no advertising campaign or marketing budget can manufacture.

Fernandez challenged participants to look beyond advertisements, social media engagement and arrival targets as they develop the country’s marketing priorities for the next two years.

“The destinations that will lead global tourism over the next decade will not necessarily be those that grow the fastest,” he said.

“They will be those that grow the smartest.”

He said Antigua and Barbuda must continue building an industry that is globally competitive, sustainable, resilient and distinctly connected to its people, culture and communities.