Prime Minister Gaston Browne says Antigua and Barbuda is positioning itself as the Caribbean’s leading luxury destination, with several high-end tourism projects now under construction and more scheduled to begin early next year.
Speaking on his _Browne and Browne_ radio programme on Saturday, Browne said the country’s tourism landscape is rapidly evolving beyond the traditional all-inclusive model toward a market that attracts higher-spending visitors and creates better-paying jobs.
“I’ve never been a fan of these all-inclusive resorts, even though they’re important because they help fill the back of the planes,” Browne said. “But there’s a need for us to diversify our tourism product into more high-end tourism, because they pay better salaries and wages, and the taxes we achieve from them are greater than the all-inclusives.”
Browne pointed to major investments such as the Nikki Beach Resort, the One & Only project, and the Nobu Beach Inn in Barbuda as part of a deliberate strategy to attract luxury brands that will elevate Antigua and Barbuda’s global tourism profile.
He said Nobu’s hotel on Barbuda is expected to open to guests by next year, adding roughly 80 new luxury rooms to the market. At the same time, other upscale projects—including the high-end Marriott development at Upton’s and a third luxury property in Barbuda awaiting port relocation—are advancing through the pipeline.
“On Barbuda, the Nobu Hotel will open to guests by next year this time,” Browne said. “That will bring perhaps another 80 keys on the market.” He added that the PLH development has already invested close to US$1 billion on the island, with more than 350 rooms completed and operational and a Tom Fazio–designed golf course already open.
The Prime Minister said these luxury developments will help sustain tourism growth, create long-term employment, and increase government revenue. “We are attracting the right kind of investment,” Browne said. “This is how we lift the standard of living for our people while keeping Antigua and Barbuda at the forefront of regional tourism.”