Along with the Minister, the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority (ABTA) included the Director of Tourism for the Caribbean and Latin America, Charmaine Spencer, the Director of Sales and Marketing (USA), Norrell Joseph, Business Development Director (UK), Joel Henry, and BlueSea Managing Director, Maria Britto-Bettini.
Antigua and Barbuda Tourism officials had a packed agenda, with thirty-five meetings held with airline executives over three days.
After fruitful conversations with American Airlines, the immediate result was an increase in flights. Daily flights from Charlotte, North Carolina to VC Bird International Airport will begin December 5, 2024 and continue throughout the Caribbean winter season (summer in the Southern Hemisphere). The Miami route will also continue to operate two flights daily during the summer and winter, offering year-round service from Miami International. Delta will also increase service to twice weekly during the Northern Hemisphere winter seasons in 2024 and 2025.
The Tourism Minister stated: "We are enjoying increases in air travel from our established markets, with the US continuing to show the greatest expansion, with more daily flights added for the critical summer and winter months. We are pleased that "American Airlines will offer daily flights to Antigua from JFK and Charlotte in the winter and maintain double daily service from Miami, boosting air connectivity through the company's main hubs."
In addition to increased air service with American Airlines, the destination will also see JetBlue increase its flights from three times a week to daily flights in the Caribbean summer of 2024. Delta will increase its flights from Atlanta to twice a week in the winter of 2024. 2024, and United will offer daily service during the winter months (summer in the Southern Hemisphere). This growth in air travel from the largest source market will be vital to support the increase in rooms with the opening of new properties such as the Royalton Chic.
Other notable successes included Westjet's maintenance of two weekly, year-round flights from Canada, and Condor's resumption of direct service from Frankfurt during the winter season, from November 2024 to April 2025.
British Airways, the largest airline flying to this destination from the United Kingdom, is also studying the possibility of offering a daily service from the United Kingdom in the upcoming winter season in the Caribbean.
All airlines currently operating in Antigua have reported that demand for the destination is growing as a result of the strong marketing campaigns being carried out by the Tourism Authority.
Participation in Routes Americas, in Colombia, also provided the opportunity to forge valuable connections with regional decision-makers and influencers in the development of air services and with other tourism and travel decision-makers, especially in the Latin American market, in full expansion.
During a welcome cocktail offered by ABTA and organized by EM Marketing & Communication within the framework of the Routes Conference, to establish contacts with airline managers, tourism sector professionals, media and regional and government officials, the Minister declared: "It is important for me to underline that, along with our established markets, Antigua and Barbuda recognizes that the Latin American traveler will be vital in driving our tourism numbers." He added: “Antigua and Barbuda's ability to forge strong and mutually rewarding partnerships within Latin America are fundamental to our long-term strategy, and the growth of our connectivity is a direct result of the Antigua Tourism Authority's strategy. and Barbuda (ABTA) to execute targeted sales strategies in key markets.”
The annual Routes Americas conference and exhibition is dedicated to the development of air routes through meetings with global airlines. This allows destinations to foster relationships with new and existing airlines, develop strategies while maintaining and improving air routes. Each year, the conference brings together senior airlines, airports and tourism authorities from across the Americas (North America, Central America, South America), the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and Europe, to discuss and agree on their air route networks.