Antigua -The Truth

Tourism is good for Antigua's economy and people, isn't it?

You would think so when you hear that over £100,000,000 gets earned at Antigua each year, but unfortunatley the tourism doesn't really help Antiguans at all.... The problem is that practically all the big companies earning lots of money from Antigua are foreign based or aren't on the island at all! A few examples of who benefits from tourism on Antigua...

• The big hotels and complexes on the island aren't Antiguan. Because of this the small Antiguan hotels and guesthouses don't get any business as infomation about them is not given out in other countries. Therefor the money earned by these foreign hotels just goes straight off the island again.
• The foreign hotel and holiday companies are now offering too many 'all inclusive' deals. These deals stop tourists from leaving the hotel complex and eating at local peoples' restaurants and therefor giving them money.
• The United States of America benefit HUGELY from tourism on Antigua, way more than any Antiguans do. This is because Antigua cannot keep itself going without supplies from elsewhere so they have to buy stuff from America. Out of every $1, $0.96 goes to America!
• Also Airlines and Cruise companies get a lot of money for getting people to Antigua

   

Here's another thing for you environmentalists to complain about!

The hotel companies that have come to earn money from tourism are building their complexes write along the shore of the island. To do this they cut down mangroves that protect the coral which causes silt to suffocate the coral reefs. Businessmen are also dredging coral areas to make way for bazillionaires to come and park their very expensive yachts on the island. This causes a problem, the dredging will cause sediment which kills all the other coral which protects the island and therefor the seas will destroy the beaches which are the reasons for tourists to come in the first place!

There are some good things about tourism for Antigua though. It brings loads of jobs! There are over 6000 jobs for Antiguans in hotels and guesthouses....

BUT, unfortunately these jobs available are low paid and low down jobs. All the good and high end jobs go to foreigners who the foreign companies have brought in.

Tourism doesn't look so good now.....