By Alexander Britell
Tourism is booming in Antigua and Barbuda, with travel demand continuing to surge, according to new data from Expedia Group.
The company’s latest report showed a 35 percent increase in travel demand to Antigua and Barbuda across all Expedia sites last year.
Package bookings also increased by 30 percent last year, according to the company.
The fastest-growing destination in Antigua was Jolly Harbour, which showed a 60 percent increase in demand, followed by eastern Antigua, with 30 percent, and the capital, St John’s, at 10 percent.
The United States remains the key feeder market for Antigua and Barbuda, with reported growth of nearly 40 percent last year, followed by the United Kingdom and Canada, which grew by 50 percent and 15 percent, respectively
The growth correlates with the destination’s visitor arrival numbers in 2016, which are among the highest in the Caribbean region.
Indeed, visitor arrivals to the destination grew by 13.5 percent in the first quarter, buoyed by increased marketing efforts and last year’s launch of JetBlue flights between New York City and Antigua.