The tourism industry’s strong performances that were recorded in 2024 have continued into the first months of 2025, according to the latest data released by the Antigua and Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association.
The ABHTA’s data shows that for January, 2025, occupancy rates were at 82.6 percent versus 80.8 percent in 2024. These compare favourably with the figure of 79.0 for 2019, the best year for tourism before it was eclipsed by 2024.
However, while the occupancy rates for February 2025 improved over January 2025 and for the same month in 2024, it was marginable lower than for February 2019. The figures are 86.3 percent for February 2025, 85.5 for February 2024 and 86.5 for February 2019.
The ABHTA’ date also provided an insight into the arrivals figures for the first two months with comparisons for both 2024 and 2019. The figures show that arrivals for January and February 2025 totaled 68,390 compared with 61,996 for the first two months of 2024 and 59,912 for the same period in 2019.
The United States continues to be the major source market for tourists visiting Antigua and Barbuda by accounting for roughly 49 percent of the arrivals in both years. The UK remains the second leading market from which visitors arrive in the country with Canada ranked at number three.
Tourism is Antigua and Barbuda’s main industry accounting for 70 percent of the country’s GDP and about one third of all the jobs in the country.
However, there are concerns that the economic outlook for the United States could, if the pessimistic view is realized, have a negative impact on the good performances that the industry has been enjoying.
