I-Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority (ABTA) manje isiqede uchungechunge lwemihlangano yamasu njengoba amaqembu ezentengiso ehlangene e-Antigua ukuze ahlangane ubuso nobuso - owokuqala kusukela nge-covid-19 - ukudingida ikusasa lokumaketha ngendawo okuyiwa kuyo.
Ibhodi le-ABTA, i-CEO, nabaqondisi abanomthwalo wemfanelo we-United States, United Kingdom & Europe, Canada, Latin America & The Caribbean, kanye namathimba abo, bavalelwe ngezikhathi lapho bebuyekeze izici ezibalulekile zophawu lwe-Antigua ne-Barbuda Tourism Authority isu lokumaketha.
UNgqongqoshe Wezokuvakasha Nokutshalwa Kwezimali wase-Antigua kanye ne-Barbuda, uMhlonishwa uCharles Fernandez utshele amathimba ngaphambi kwemihlangano ukuthi akhumbule ukuthi “Uhlelo lwe-Vision 2032 olushicilelwe uMnyango Wezokuvakasha luzofezwa kuphela uma siphumelela ukudala inzuzo yezomnotho kubantu bendawo futhi abahlali ngokuxhumana okuphezulu”.
Imihlangano yenzeka ngesikhathi lapho izinombolo zokufika zezokuvakasha ze-Antigua neBarbuda sezidlule amazinga angaphambi kobhubhane. UJulayi, Agasti, kanye noSepthemba 2022 abafika kwezokuvakasha benze kahle kakhulu kunabango-2019, phambilini abebethathwa njengehlobo elihle kunawo wonke owake waba khona endaweni. Ngo-Agasti 2022, indawo okuyiwa kuyo yamukele abangu-20,125 e-V.C. I-Bird International Airport. Laba ngabantu abayizi-2,472 ngaphezulu kunonyaka wokulinganisa, ka-2019 lapho abafikayo bemi ku-17,653.
Ukufika kwezokuvakasha ngo-Agasti 2022 nakho kudlule okwango-Agasti 2021 lapho i-Antigua ne-Barbuda ithola izivakashi eziyi-18,792.
USihlalo we-Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, uDkt. Lorraine Raeburn, umemezele emaqenjini ekuqaleni komhlangano ukuthi, “Manje yisikhathi sokubuyekeza, ukuhlola kabusha futhi siqinisekise ukuthi sihambisana nomhambi omusha kanye nemboni eshintsha ngokushesha. ”
Esicelweni sokubambisana ngokubambisana embonini yonkana, uSihlalo we-ABTA “futhi ugqugquzela ukwesekwa namandla abo bonke ababambiqhaza, elindele ukuthi umbono wethu ovuselelwe uyakugqugquzela ukuthi uhlanganyele nathi kulolu hambo.”
Isikhulu esiphezulu se-Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, u-Colin C. James sifinyeze indlela yomhlangano wamasu walo nyaka ethi, “Kulesi sigaba sokukhula kwethu, njengoba sibheke ekuphakamiseni umkhiqizo wethu, ukumaketha kanye nomthelela wezomnotho, ukubambisana kubalulekile. Saxoxisana nababambiqhaza ngaphambi kwezikhathi zethimba lethu, futhi ngokokuqala ngqa silethe lonke ithimba le-ABTA, labo abasebenza emazweni omhlaba nasekhaya ndawonye, ukuze bathole indlela efinyelela phezulu yokuhlela.
“Sihlanganisa wonke amakhono namakhono okudala ukuze siqinisekise ukuthi i-Antigua neBarbuda inesu elingcono kakhulu elikhona lokuzakhela phezu komfutho esinawo futhi siqedele lo nyaka ngamandla, kodwa okubaluleke kakhulu siqhubeke nokukhula kwethu kuze kufike ku-2023.”
Uhlelo lokumaketha lweminyaka emibili luzoqalwa kulandela imihlangano yokumaketha. Okuseqophelweni eliphezulu emaqenjini emakethe yezokuvakasha kuzokhulisa izivakashi ezifikayo ngokuhamba ngomkhumbi, nge-yachting, nangomoya ukuze kugcinwe ukukhula okukhona njengamanje. I-Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority iphinde ihlose ukusebenzisa amandla endawo, ukubeka nokumaketha i-Antigua ne-Barbuda, njengendawo oya kuyo unyaka wonke. Kugxilwa ekuthuthukisweni okwengeziwe kwezinsika zokumaketha zendawo okuyiwa kuyo ezothando, i-Yachting and Sailing, Amagugu Namasiko, kanye Nempilo ukuze kuzuzwe lokhu.
Isikhulu se-ABTA sithe, “Umbono wethu uhambisana nombono ka-2032 owethulwe nguMnyango Wezokuvakasha. Kuwukukhulisa amanani ethu, ukukhulisa imali engenayo etholwa yileli zwe kwezokuvakasha, siqinisekise ukuthi imali eyengeziwe isala e-Antigua naseBarbuda, ukuze izivakashi zethu zizijabulele ngenkathi zilapha futhi ekugcineni siqinisekise ukuthi abantu base-Antiguan naseBarbudans banezinga elingcono ukuphila, indlela yokuphila engcono, futhi lokho sikwenza ngendlela eqhubekayo.”
I-Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority iphinde yasebenzisa umhlangano wamasu ukugubha umsebenzi onzima wamaqembu ngeMiklomelo Yokwazisa Kontanga kanye nesidlo sasemini.
