Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism boom is continuing, thanks to record-breaking numbers from the United States.
The twin-island destination welcomed its 100,000th visitors from the U.S. in 2016, the first time in record arrivals history for Antigua and Barbuda.
Indeed, arrivals from the U.S. grew 18.35 percent year over year through November, according to the country’s tourism board.
Overall, stayover tourist arrivals to Antigua and Barbuda were up 7.4 percent year-over-year through the end of November, with a predicted total of more than 250,000 visitors in 2016.
That makes the country among the fastest-growing destinations in the Caribbean region.
“Despite trends across the region showing a decrease in visitor arrivals and spend, our twin-isle nation is defying the odds and showing significant growth in both, including double-digit growth from the US market,” said Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Minister Asot Michael. “Antigua and Barbuda is asserting itself as the new leader in the Caribbean, from new properties, to a growing cruise market, to increased airlift, and we predict 2017 will be an even stronger year in tourism.”
Antigua was named Caribbean Destination of the Year in the 2016 Caribbean Travel Awards.
