Antigua and Barbuda is set to leverage the infrastructure improvements made for the recent SIDS4 Conference to attract major international conferences and events in the future.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne emphasized the long-term benefits that the country will gain from the advanced technology and facilities established for the event.
“The benefits to be had in addition to that, some of the technology that we would have imported for the conference or most of it for that matter would stay here,” Browne stated.
“We will have a more equipped conference infrastructure in which we can attract future conferences. In fact, I can see the World Bank, the IMF, and even corporations in North America and Europe holding their annual retreats in Antigua and Barbuda because we have the facilities now in place.”
Prime Minister Browne highlighted that the new conference facility is now one of the finest in the Caribbean region.
This state-of-the-art infrastructure positions Antigua and Barbuda as a prime destination for conference tourism, a sector that has been largely untapped until now. The improved facilities are expected to boost tourism, increase visitor spending, and create more opportunities for local residents.
In addition to the conference infrastructure, a local group is developing a hotel on the coastline just north of the conference center.
This development will create a synergistic ecosystem between the hotel, conference center, and other amenities, enhancing the overall appeal of the location for large-scale events.
Browne also mentioned ongoing discussions with the Shoul family to encourage the development of Airbnb properties and condominium-type accommodations nearby.
“If we can get maybe a couple of thousand rooms on the other side of the road, you can imagine the type of ecosystem that you’ll have there for conferences,” Browne explained. “You would not have to travel any distance. You can literally move from your accommodation right to the conference facility within a matter of a few minutes walking distance.”
The hosting of the SIDS4 Conference, one of the largest international events ever held in the Caribbean, has demonstrated Antigua and Barbuda’s capability to host significant global gatherings.
Browne noted that the participation and support for this conference surpassed that of previous similar events in the region, including the first SIDS conference held in Barbados.
“I certainly want to thank all who would have contributed to the success of this conference,” Browne said, expressing gratitude for the collective effort that made the event a triumph.
With the new infrastructure and a clear vision for the future, Antigua and Barbuda is poised to become a key player in the conference tourism sector, attracting high-profile events and fostering economic growth for the nation.
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