Above: Antigua and Barbuda

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Antigua and Barbuda is planning to implement a new tourism “action” agenda, the country said this week.

The plans come after consultations with at least 50 tourism stakeholders in the public and private sectors, according to a government statement.

The plan will focus on three initiatives: the development of a new sustainable tourism strategy, new community-based cultural tourism products and the “mapping” of cultural heritage sites.

“Based on the assessment, Antigua and Barbuda is performing well as it relates to its prioritization of Sustainable Tourism,” said Tourism Minister Asot Michael. “However, the findings did indicate that there are some critical areas we need to address to include: the need to establish quality and sustainability standards for key sectors of the industry, improving visitor management planning and monitoring and coastal zone management.”

The Ministry of Tourism already has a dedicated Sustainable Tourism department that is working on bringing the initiatives to fruition.

“We are confident that we can further improve the way we manage tourism – our most critical sector – to ensure its long-term sustainability,” Michael said.