Prime Minister Gaston Browne says Antigua and Barbuda is targeting approximately 1.5 million cruise visitors annually within the next two years as the country expands its cruise facilities and shoreside attractions.

Browne said the projected figure would represent a significant increase from the roughly 500,000 cruise visitors recorded when his administration took office more than a decade ago.

“I think that within the next couple years, we should get up to about 1.5 million tourists, moving from about 500,000 when we first came in a decade ago,” Browne said during his weekly radio programme.

The prime minister pointed to the Upland Development on Newgate Street as one of the projects expected to support the continued growth of the cruise sector.

He said the development is nearing completion and should be ready for the upcoming cruise season. The facility is expected to include about 20 shops, with several spaces allocated to local businesses.

Browne acknowledged that fewer local operators secured shops than he would have preferred, but said the development would still create opportunities for vendors, merchants, taxi operators and other service providers.

“It’s a great addition to our cruise tourism product,” he said.

The development is intended to give cruise passengers additional shopping and entertainment options near the St. John’s port while increasing opportunities for visitor spending to reach local businesses.

Browne credited Global Ports Holding with investing heavily in Antigua and Barbuda’s cruise infrastructure and helping to improve the country’s position in the regional market.

He argued that Antigua and Barbuda had made significant progress from a period when its cruise product was considered among the weakest in the region.

The prime minister said the country is now receiving greater recognition as a tourism destination and is increasingly positioned to compete for a larger share of the Caribbean cruise market.

However, Browne did not provide details about projected cruise calls, confirmed passenger bookings or the additional infrastructure that would be required to accommodate 1.5 million visitors annually.

Reaching the target would depend on continued growth in ship arrivals, adequate port capacity and the country’s ability to offer enough transportation, shopping, tours and other services for the increased number of passengers.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Antigua and Barbuda Targets 1.5 Million Cruise Visitors Within Two Years.