Freeland Calls for Sport Tourism Push to Create Jobs and Attract Investment

Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism, the Honourable Michael Freeland, has called for a coordinated approach to sport tourism that turns Antigua and Barbuda’s sporting heritage into wider opportunities for employment, investment and business growth.

In remarks prepared for the Commonwealth Growth Panel during CHOGM, Freeland said the economic contribution of sport reaches beyond athletes, supporting livelihoods for coaches, event organisers, taxi operators, caterers, technicians and other service providers.

“When someone travels here for sport, we should be creating opportunities for businesses right across the country,” he said.

Freeland pointed to Antigua and Barbuda’s cricket and sailing traditions, alongside its established tourism industry, as a foundation for expanding the sector.

He proposed linking competitions with visitor packages that encourage teams, relatives and supporters to extend their stays, experience local attractions and explore both islands.

School tours, club competitions, training camps and coaching clinics could also help attract visitors during quieter tourism periods, creating additional business for accommodation providers, restaurants and transport operators.

Freeland stressed that planning should include guesthouses, vendors, tour guides and young entrepreneurs so that communities share in the economic benefits.

To support that growth, he called for closer coordination among government agencies, sporting associations, hotels, airlines and investors. A dependable events calendar and clear approval processes, he said, would help organisers plan and give businesses greater confidence to participate.

He also emphasised accountability where public funding or incentives are involved, saying support should produce measurable benefits through jobs, training, youth participation and opportunities for small businesses.

Sporting facilities, he added, should be properly maintained and remain available for community use beyond individual events.

“If we want sport to be treated as a serious economic sector, we have to give it serious planning, reliable information and strong partnerships,” Freeland said.

The minister also identified Commonwealth cooperation in coaching, school exchanges and regional sporting tours as potential avenues for development.

He said the ultimate measure of success should be the opportunities created for residents, with sport tourism contributing to livelihoods and business development across Antigua and Barbuda.