JOHN’S, Antigua — Seagulls are the only ones using the pool at a resort fringing one of Antigua’s most popular beaches. They have the place all to themselves, save for a solitary security guard surveying the empty terrace usually abuzz with families, Gemma Handy writes in this BBC News report on May 25.
Above, the bright blue sky is devoid of the aeroplanes ordinarily flitting back and forth with such regularity they are used to tell the time.
The absence of holidaymakers due to the Covid-19 pandemic is keenly felt on this Caribbean island for which, like many of its counterparts, tourism has long been its breadbasket.
Often dubbed the “most tourism-dependent region in the world”, the Caribbean attracted more than 31 million visitors last year. For some islands, the sector accounts to a colossal two-thirds of gross domestic product.
Antigua closed its borders to commercial flights in late March in an effort to contain the coronavirus.
It is especially galling after ploughing his life savings into a new boat for his Creole Antigua Tours company in October.
“My business is 100% dependent on tourists. We’re staying positive that things will pick up but I’m not seeing that happening until at least the end of the year,” he explains. “If things don’t get better I’m really expecting to pack up. I know other small companies who feel the same.”
On June 4 the first commercial flight in 10 weeks will land in Antigua when American Airlines touches down from Miami. British Airways is set to follow suit in July.
Tourism bosses hope the island’s oft-touted “365 beaches” will help facilitate social distancing and woo cautious holidaymakers back. See the full BBC News report at https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52723056
