The yachting sector of the Antigua and Barbuda tourism industry continues to
expand and it is now a major contribution to the overall tourism earnings for the
country.
Chief Executive Officer of the Falmouth Harbour Marina, Robert (Bobby) Reis,
said he believes the overall contribution of the yachting sector to the tourism
earnings are estimated to be approximately $200 million annually.
Reis reported that the country has four other marinas and all have been reporting
brisk business this season. “This has been a superb year for the entire yachting
sector. I have not complaints with the way things are going,” he declared.
Along with the Falmouth Harbour Marina, the other marinas are the Antigua Yacht
Club, the Catamaran Marina and Boathouse, the Nelson’s Dockyard Marina and
the Jolly Harbour Marina.
According to Reis his figures are based on a 1999 report from the Eastern
Caribbean Central Bank and 2 percent increase compound every year since. Last
year, the Falmouth Harbour Marina spent over $10 million on fuel to the West
Indies Oil Company just for fuel for the yachts. Additionally, it spent $1.5 million
to APUA for utility services.
Along with the marina docking fees and fuel, the yachts also pay large sums of
money purchasing a host of services locally such as spending at supermarkets.
“For example, we are getting a lot more mage-yachts and these vessels carry a
large crew to take care of the owners and the vessels themselves. These numbers
average in many cases between 30 and 40 persons. They only eat at restaurants
when they are in port, and in addition, they will also rent two or three motor
vehicles. When you add up these figures spending over a five-month period, the
expenditure is quite substantial,” he noted.
Apart from fuel, another big-ticket item for the yachts is expenditure at
supermarkets. Reis recalled seeing the manager of a supermarket on the dock
handing out discount cards to the yacht owners. “I asked him what he was doing
and the supermarket manager explained that the day before the crew from one
yacht had spent $80,000.00 in groceries at his supermarket so he wanted to ensure
that the other yachts do the same,” he explained.
The Falmouth Harbour Marina recently upgraded its facilities at a cost of $7
million to add a berth 535 feet in length which is able to accommodate the largest
mega-yachts. Reis said they also invested in new fuel-pumping equipment to
reduce the time it takes to fill up the yachts. Because of the high level of service it
offers, Reis said the marina experiences a high rate of returning yachts each year.
Reis said he was pleased when he heard the government not only acknowledge the
contributions of yachting but is willing to take positive steps to ensure its
continued growth and development.
