Following a successful promotional roadshow in Guadeloupe in early June, the
Minister of Tourism, Honourable Harold Lovell, led a delegation last week to
meet with officials from the Regional Conseil of Guadeloupe to discuss areas
to strengthen the relationship between Antigua and Barbuda, and Guadeloupe.

A high level delegation from the Guadeloupean Presiding Council including
representatives from the Regional Assembly Tourism Commission, the Director
of Economic Development, Director of Tourism, Transportation and Information
Technology, and representatives from the Hotel Association and the Marine
Trades Association sought to initiate programmes to facilitate greater
travel between the two countries. The delegations recognized the
opportunities to promote Antigua/Guadeloupe as a joint-destination to the
multitudes of tourists from the US and UK in Antigua and the French tourists
visiting Guadeloupe. With twice daily flights operated between the two
islands by LIAT, plans were initiated to jointly promote the islands
overseas to strengthen the attractiveness of each individual destination,
only twenty minutes apart, which exposes tourists to completely different
experiences of history, heritage, culture and language.

Director of Tourism, Transportation and Information Technology for
Guadeloupe, Madame Monique Apat noted the vast markets available to each
destination, "French visitors to Guadeloupe comprise 88% of our visitors
with only 1% coming from the USA or UK. The reverse is true for Antigua and
Barbuda with UK visitors comprising 38% and US visitors comprising 28% with
a much smaller percentage coming from France."

Issues discussed included the cost of air travel between the two islands, a
matter which was being evaluated by LIAT represented in the discussions by
Mr. Lesroy Browne, Director of Marketing, who described the operating costs
in Guadeloupe which operates under the same wage, tax and other parameters
as in mainland France, as being a major factor.

The benefit of greater weekend travel among residents of the two countries
was also emphasized to increase cultural and social collaboration. Minister
Lovell emphasized during his interviews with the French media which
expressed a special interest in the strengthening relationships "We are so
close physically, yet so far apart socially, economically and culturally. We
must narrow this gap and re-establish the connections between our two
islands that existed many years ago. There are many benefits to a closer
relationship with student exchanges, greater commerce and trade, and greater
low cost travel facilitating the development of language skills and new
sources of visitors for both countries."

Mr. Neil Forrester, General Manager of the Antigua Hotels and Tourist
Association, a member of the delegation committed to working closely with
the LIAT, and the Ministry of Tourism to develop special weekend packages
among the smaller hotel properties attractive to residents from Guadeloupe.
Mr. Forrester, who also serves as Chairman of the Antigua Sailing Week
Committee, also recognized the vast opportunities to integrate and jointly
promote the major sailing regattas and events in Guadeloupe including the
Route du Rhum and the Triskell Cup taking place in November and the Antigua
Charter Yacht Meeting in December, and Antigua Sailing Week in April to keep
visiting vessels in the region for a longer period. "We are pleased with the
results of the efforts so far with the immediate follow up at this level of
issues such as visa waivers and tax issues which are critical to the
development of tangible programmes between Guadeloupe and Antigua and
Barbuda. It is important that individual hotels now play their part in
providing special rates and packages to attract visitors from Guadeloupe and
from the French mainland via this route. We also have the opportunity to
highlight the best features of Antigua and Barbuda with a press trip in
August by the Guadeloupean media which resulted from the initial roadshow in
June."

The one day meeting was attended by Minister of Tourism, Harold Lovell;
Lorraine Headley, Director General of Tourism, and Marketing Manager and
Promotions, Joyce Henry from the Ministry of Tourism along with General
Manager of the Antigua Hotels and Tourist Association, Neil Forrester and
Mr. Lesroy Browne of LIAT.

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