A new airport terminal is planned for Barbuda as part of efforts to support the island’s tourism development, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Charles Fernandez says.

Speaking on the Browne and Browne Show, Fernandez said the terminal would follow expansion work at the airport.

“We just expanded the airport in Barbuda, and we’re going to be building out a new terminal there,” he said.

Fernandez described the planned terminal as important for Barbuda’s tourism industry but did not provide a construction start date, estimated cost or details of the proposed facilities.

He linked the airport development to the government’s approach to positioning Barbuda as an ultra-high-end destination.

Fernandez said that approach did not mean building hotels throughout the island. He pointed instead to a model similar to Jumby Bay, with an emphasis on high-end tourism.

At the same time, he said Barbudans were beginning to benefit directly from the industry by developing their own short-term rental accommodation.

“Barbudans themselves have started to benefit because they are now doing their own short-term rental properties,” Fernandez said.

The minister’s remarks formed part of a wider discussion about tourism investment and opportunities for local ownership in Antigua and Barbuda.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: New airport terminal planned for Barbuda, Fernandez says.