Senator Alex Browne, the United Progressive Party (UPP) caretaker
for St. Phillip’s North, is concerned that the Gaston Browne
Administration is now – at the 11th hour – trying to organize rooms
for the Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) conference.
The Administration is expecting at least 3,500 delegates, including
heads of state and government, from across the world to attend the
conference in May.
However, Antigua does not have the hotel-room capacity to
accommodate this large volume of people, and cruise ships were
being considered for alternative accommodation.
However, last Wednesday, March 13, the Executive said the cost of
this alternative is prohibitive, and has decided to pursue other
options.
Instead, smaller visitor accommodations, such as Airbnb’s, private
homes, and apartments will now be considered.
Senator Browne is aghast that all the accommodation details have
not already been finalized.
He says this is among the first things that should have been done
once the number of attendees was confirmed.
With more than two decades’ experience in the tourism sector,
Browne says that delegates should already have booked their
reservations at the hotels where they intend to stay.
This conference is very important for the country, the senator
acknowledges; but, based on the way the Administration is running
things, it appears likely that a mess will be made of this opportunity.
Browne cannot understand why – with the conference mere weeks
away – it took this long for the Cabinet to realize that the cruise-ship
option would be too costly.
He says that accommodations should already have been sorted,
given the caliber of delegates expected on the island.
Furthermore, the UPP senator says, the Government should now be
having mock demonstrations – or simulations – of what should be
taking place come the end of May.
