Amagosa oKhenketho e-Antigua kunye ne-Barbuda anike ingxelo yokuba, okokuqala ngqa kwisithuba seminyaka elishumi elinesihlanu, i-Antigua ne-Barbuda ibonise ezona ndwendwe zinamandla zizonke zokufika ngenqwelomoya ukusuka ngoJanuwari ukuya kuJuni (148,139), ngokunyuka okubalulekileyo kwiimarike zemithombo ephambili yendawo yokusingwa: US, Canada, UK kunye neCaribbean. Oku kubonisa ukonyuka kwe-+7% ukusuka kowama-2017. Eyona ndawo yayikufutshane kakhulu kula manani yayingo-2008 (146,935).
Ngokukodwa, inyanga kaJuni ibonise ukunyuka okuphawulekayo: ICanada inokwanda okukhulu konyaka ngaphezu kwe-170%, ilandelwa yi-US (14.35%), iCaribbean (8.69%) kunye ne-UK (8.27%). Ukongeza, indawo ekuyiwa kuyo ibona umyinge we-11.57% yokunyuka kokufika elwandle (502,527 ukususela ngoJanuwari-Meyi), kunye ne-avareji ye-8.6% yokukhula kwamazinga okuhlala.
Olu hlumo lusetelwe ukuqhubeka nokunyuka okubalulekileyo kokuhamba ngenqwelomoya ukusuka kuMntla Melika ekwindla ka-2018, ukuvulwa kwendawo ekuyeyona intsha yeenkwenkwezi ezi-5 kunye ne-spa, eHodges Bay, ngo-Okthobha wama-2018 kunye neshedyuli epheleleyo yokuhamba ngenqanawa.
“Sichulumancile sesi santya silungileyo sokukhula kwabantu abafikayo, ngokuhamba ngenqanawa nangomoya. Kuyakhuthaza kakhulu kushishino lwezokhenketho, kwaye ndingathanda ukuvuyisana ne-Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, icandelo labucala, abachaphazelekayo kunye nawo onke amahlakani ethu okhenketho ngokusinceda sifikelele ezi ziphumo zintle kwiinyanga ezi-6 zokuqala zonyaka. Asiyi kuphumla kwizinto zethu, kwaye sizamela ukuba ngcono. Siza kuqhubeka ukutyala imali kwiziseko ezingundoqo kunye nenkonzo kwaye siphakamise ulwazi ngeAntigua neBarbuda, ukuqinisekisa ukuba sibona ukukhula okungaguqukiyo kwabafikayo,” utshilo uMphathiswa wezoKhenketho noTyalo-mali, oHloniphekileyo uCharles 'Max' Fernandez.
“Isiqingatha sokuqala sika-2018 sibonakalise ukuphucuka okumangalisayo, ngakumbi kwiimarike zethu eziphambili. Sijonge phambili ekusebenzeni ngokuzingisileyo ukutsala abatyeleli abatsha nababuyayo, siphucula iimveliso zethu zokhenketho esiqithini kunye nokwandisa ukufikelela kwisikhululo seenqwelomoya esiphumelele iimbasa kunye nezibuko. Siphinda kabini uhambo lwethu lwenqwelomoya oluphuma eMiami, sazisa inkonzo entsha ngqo ephuma eNew York naseCanada, kwaye samkela iinqanawa ezintsha zokuhamba ngenqanawa kwishedyuli esele ixakekile. Ngokudityaniswa nezicwangciso zethu zokuthengisa ezinobundlobongela, siqinisekile ukuba siya kuqhubeka sibona ukukhula okuphawulekayo kwisiqingatha sesibini sonyaka, "kusho i-CEO ye-Antigua kunye ne-Barbuda Tourism Authority, uColin C. James.
Ngo-2017, iziqithi zafikelela kwinqanaba lezokhenketho ekwamkeleni ngaphezu kwesigidi seendwendwe zomoya nolwandle. Amanani okufika kunye nokuhlala kwisiqingatha sokuqala sonyaka zizibonakaliso ezintle zokuba i-Antigua neBarbuda imiselwe omnye unyaka werekhodi kukhenketho.
