US$ 22 MILLION NEW PIER OPENS WITH A BANG

St. John's, December 19th, 2002....Cruise Tourism in Antigua and Barbuda began the year on a very encouraging note when some five cruise ships brought just over 9000 passengers to our shores.

Officials in the Ministry of Tourism then indicated that this was a sign of things to come, and how right they were then. This morning, the brand new US$22 million Nevis Street pier sprang to life with the arrival of two mega cruise ships, officially opening the facility.

According to Minister of Tourism, Molwyn Joseph the opening of the new pier coupled with the recent dredging of the harbour places Antigua and Barbuda in a strong position to welcome the larger ships, resulting in increasing visitor arrivals.

"We already have indications for the year 2003, which will also be a better season for us. There are some thirteen (13) new ships which will be coming into the chain next year and we are in a position to accommodate them," Joseph said.

During a visit to the pier and tour of one of the ships, Prime Minister Lester Bird said, Antigua and Barbuda can now be marketed as a premier destination. In addition he said, "I think the government should be given a lot of credit in the first place for building Heritage Quay and now to know that you had to expand it in order to take these huge ships, congratulations are surely in order for the Ministry of Tourism, the cruise tourism people and all those who have been involved in it."

The presence of the sister ships, out of Europe - the European Vision and the Minstrel, at the new pier, coupled with the arrival of two others at the Heritage Quay, brought a total of seven thousand plus passengers to the city of St. John's.

Meanwhile, today the Tourism Week of activities continued with the staging of 'Tourism Blast Off' at the Heritage Quay Band Stand. The event featured the best of the country's delicacies, music, art and culture. Thousands of visitors were treated to the best of Antigua and Barbuda.

The Tourism Minister used the opportunity to announce plans that farmers will soon be able to market their produce directly to the various cruise ships entering the country.

"The farmers of Antigua and Barbuda will have the opportunity to market their goods, fruits and vegetables to the cruise ships in this harbour. They will have a captive market, where they do not have to box vegetables to ship them for thousands of miles. All they have to do is produce the vegetables and fruits, right here in Antigua and Barbuda, deliver them to the cruise ships fresh." He also indicated that organic foods are grown by the farmers, a point which brought a sustained applause from the visitors.

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