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Antigua sees surge in visitors

7th July 2010

Antigua and Barbados are the fastest growing long haul destinations this year, according to a new report.

Hayes and Jarvis said holidaymakers seem unconcerned about relatively low exchange rates for their travel money, ash cloud troubles and airline strikes and are increasingly choosing to jet to the Caribbean and America.

The holiday company said bookings to the Caribbean had jumped 130% in the last two months, with Antigua and Barbados the fastest-growing destinations.

Also in the top 10 were the US cities of Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco.

In third and fourth position respectively was Bali, which has profited from people switching from Thailand after the civil unrest there earlier this year and Kenya, which has seen tourists begin to return following the political unrest in 2008.

However travellers heading off to any destination would be well advised to order foreign currency in advance to get the better deals.

"Ironically, dollar destinations hit by a double whammy of sliding exchange rates and airline strikes have been the big winners in a topsy-turvy year for long-haul travel," said Hayes & Jarvis commercial director Niel Alobaidi.

These are Hayes & Jarvis's fastest-growing long-haul destinations this year (1) Antigua; (2) Barbados; (3) Bali; (4) Kenya; (5) Cuba; (6) Las Vegas; (7) Egypt; (8) Los Angeles; (9) Chicago and (10) San Francisco.

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