By Kisean Joseph
Antigua and Barbuda has officially unveiled a state-of-the-art cruise terminal as part of a US $60 million Upland Development Project, with Prime Minister Gaston Browne mounting a strong defense of the government’s partnership with Global Ports Holding (GPH) while highlighting significant employment opportunities the facility will create.
The facility, which opened with a partial turnaround operation for P&O Cruises’ Arvia vessel on Thursday, marks a transformative moment for the nation’s cruise tourism sector.
Prime Minister Browne used the unveiling ceremony on Saturday to address past criticism of the public-private partnership, describing it as economically beneficial to Antigua and Barbuda.
“If it is Global Ports funding that would have built this berth, and that we operated, that we get revenues, we get head taxes, and other revenues, the spin from the economic activities that have been taking place here, and over a 30-year period, without any payment at the end of the concession, that we reverse back to the government and the people of Antigua and Barbuda, how could anyone argue that that is not a good deal?” Browne stated.
He noted that research showed the government had invested approximately $300 million in cruise infrastructure over 30 years, with minimal returns, making no more than about $1 million annually.
“We took the decision that the model was not working for us, and that we had to pursue a public-private partnership for profit,” he said.
Under the current arrangement, Global Ports Holding invested $80 million, including $20 million to retire a nearly 20-year-old bond, and $35 million for the fifth berth. After 30 years, all facilities revert to government ownership at no cost.
The Prime Minister also praised GPH for continuing to pay salaries during the COVID-19 pandemic when many private entities failed to do so.
Underlining the development’s impact on employment, Browne said the terminal will create diverse income-generating opportunities for locals.
“It will result in more opportunities for the locals, those who are involved in commerce, those involved in the creative arts, who will perform here from time to time. And at the same time, more opportunities for employment,” Browne stated.
“Already, you can see there are a number of Antiguans and Barbudans who have been employed to man this particular terminal. And with the shops and the other amenities, there will be many opportunities for additional employment,” he added.
Antigua Cruise Ports currently employs approximately 70 people, with officials expecting this number to more than double once the full development is completed.
Gasper George, the General Manager of Antigua Cruise Ports, said the milestone comes approximately one year after the groundbreaking.
“Seventeen days from today will mark one year since we gathered on this very site for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Uupland development project. Today, we remain, and we return with purpose and pride to officially hand over the cruise terminal, marking the completion of Phase 1 of this transformation project,” George stated.
Lancelot Arnold, the Director of the Eastern Caribbean at Global Ports Holding, emphasized the company’s commitment.
“It forms part of a US $60-million-dollar investment by Global Ports Holding, an investment grounded in confidence in Antigua and Barbuda, its people, its leadership, and its place within the global cruise industry,” Arnold said.
GHP Chairman Mehmet Kutman, who recently became a citizen of Antigua and Barbuda, announced the remaining phases—including retail spaces, dining facilities, and a day club with a pool—will be completed by July 2026.
“This development — I asked our construction team — will be finished by July 2026, they have confirmed to me. So, let’s give them another three months for a grand opening. At the same time, we’ll open another venue, which I can’t disclose right now, hopefully again by November of 2026,” Kutman said.
The more than 10,000-square-foot terminal replaces the makeshift market tent previously used for turnaround operations during the 2023 and 2024 cruise seasons.
George noted that the cruise port has already issued a call for Antiguan entrepreneurs to submit proposals to operate stores at the upland development.
The facility is expected to position Antigua and Barbuda as a leading homeporting destination in the Caribbean, with the country projected to welcome approximately one million cruise passengers this year—nearly double pre-partnership numbers.