Part 2 (updated)

The ALP government's egotistic billionaires 

By Kwame Nkosi Romeo

Part 1 exposes the ALP govt deception. Yida Zhang's US$2 billion 1,517 acres ceased functioning mega-resort investment schemes, including Guiana Island, Crump, Rabbit Island, and the Crump Peninsula, confirmed the public suspicion.

Zhang needed the funds to carry out the glorious plan, but none was available. The injection of the illusory US$200 million a year for ten years into the public treasury was an ALP electioneering scam. 

Another failed endeavor at smaller tasks concerning the Hard Rock Cafe & Casino was revolting. Zhang could not underwrite 0.15% - 25% towards a Hard Rock International (HRI ) franchise costing between US$2,995,000 and $4,910,000 million. (Part 1-Economic Corruption: Unfair Trading Practices & Neo-Colonialism.)

Part 2 connects the failure of prime minister Gaston Browne and the constant use of projects such as Yida Zhang's fictitious investment that bolstered the GDP of the twin island state years ago. (Antigua's prime minister Gaston Browne signs US$740 million deal with Chinese firm - mnialive.com)

In Billionaires We Trust

Undoubtedly, the People's Republic of China is the most developed outbound tourism market, the biggest spenders ahead of the U.S. and Germany, and the third most-visited country in the world. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), monies generated by international tourism reached US$1.4 trillion in 2013, conforming to the growth rate in receipts, and per the increase in international tourist arrivals, from 1035 million in 2012 to 1087 million in 2013. Chinese tourists spent $129 billion in 2013, followed by Americans at $86 billion, a 26.471% and 3.0% increase, respectively, over 2012.

 

China has the second-largest economy in the world and is the world's most populous country, with a population of 1.39 billion. Between 2011 and 2012, Chinese tourist expenditure saw the most considerable increase, from US$72.6 billion to US$102.0 billion, and the U.S. US$78.2 to US$ 83.5 billion, 40.496%, and 6.777%, respectively. The Beijing Capital Airport is China's largest airport: 100 international, 21 regional, and 757 domestic air routes connecting the capital with 54 cities in 39 countries. Although China's inbound tourists decreased by 2.51% in 2013, satisfactorily, the 129 million (m) visitors increased China's international tourism receipt by 3.27%, generating 51.664 billion USD. Beijing was cited as the no.1 destination for inbound tourism. 

According to the World Tourism Organization, there will be an annual increase of 43 million international tourists to China over the next 20 years, and the number will soar to 1.8 billion by 2030. In 2013, foreign tourists accounted for 26.2903m or 20.367%, and the Asian market (Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan Province) market was 102.7874m or 79.632% of the 129,077,700m visitors to China. In addition, 6 Chinese cities rank in the top 10 of 90 cities worldwide with more than 12,261 hotels (including hostels): Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, and Chengdu.

On the other hand, more than 98.19 million Chinese traveled abroad in 2013. In light of these positive figures, Chinese visitors to the Caribbean still need to be made more explicit. Antigua & Barbuda is just one of several Caribbean countries authorized by China as Approved Destination Status (ADS) for Chinese nationals. Antigua & Barbuda is among 146 ADS-sanctioned countries and territories as of 2013. However, this figure is reduced to 44 countries without a pre-arranged visa. The People's Republic of China's bilateral tourism arrangement was established in 1997.

 

In February 2005, Jamaica was designated an ADS for Chinese nationals, and three years later, the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008 advertised the outstanding performance of Jamaican athletes to the world. This branding, marketing, and advertising type was the best imaginable, so what could have gone wrong? 

Jamaica's tourism figures still need to grow, and the country's golden opportunity is not reaching the finishing line. For example, in 2006, Chinese visitors' arrivals totaled 976 total visitor appearances of 1,678,905m, representing 0.05813%. In 2008, 1,000; in 2009, 1,142; in 2010, 1,302. Three years later, 2,420 in 2013. In the first three months of 2014, Chinese visitors' arrivals to Jamaica 664 surpassed the Japanese 643 stopovers. However, Chinese arrivals are on track to increase over previous years but remain low. 

In 2014, outbound tourism was expected to reach about 110 million. All Caribbean countries suffer from airlifts. Some without ADS and visa restrictions cannot attract Chinese visitors, while others need the cultural interpretation of what Chinese visitors seek. Although shopping and sightseeing are important, relaxation is emphasized as necessary too.

 

The most popular destinations in the top 20 for Chinese outbound travel are Asian countries, ranking in the top eleven destinations of choice. For international travel, the Chinese prefer France, the U.S.A, Italy, Australia, and Switzerland; as of 30 June 2013, more than 970,000 ADS visa holders had visited Australia. The top five Staycation destinations among wealthy Chinese are Sanya, Hong Kong, Tibet, Yunnan, and Macau. Sanya has been the most popular domestic tourist destination for four consecutive years. The recent Hurun Report Chinese Luxury Consumer Survey 2014 reviews China's high net worth individuals (HNWIs) spending. It emphasizes specific areas of importance: Travel is their favorite leisure activity, while swimming and golf remain the most popular sporting activities. On the other hand, the number of high-net-worth individuals who have emigrated or are planning to do so rose from 60% to 64%, accounting for 1 in 3 super-rich. 

These are huge markets challenging the Caribbean, with endless airlift, visa-waiver schemes, geographic location, shorter flight duration, and the cultural needs to satisfy Chinese travelers. One example is the Maldives visa-waiver scheme; Chinese visitors to the island in 2013 increased by 45%, reaching nearly a third of Maldives' 1.1 m total visitors arrival. Before this event, Maldives tourism saw an upsurge in Chinese visitors: a 95.0% increase from 61,000 in 2009 to 119,000 in 2010, a 15.6% increase from 198,655 in 2011 to 229,551 in 2012. In 2013, 331,719 Chinese tourists accounted for 29.5% of Maldives tourist arrivals and a 44.5% Chinese tourist increase over 2012. The Maldives' tourism budget is about US$5.1 million.

 

According to the Maldives Tourism website, With an impressive 14.9% increase in arrivals during May 2014, tourist arrivals to the Maldives continued to flourish, reaching half a million at the end of January to May 2014. The Maldives welcomed 518,166 tourists for the period, registering a strong growth of 11.9% over the same period in 2013. There is a need for the Caribbean to develop a national marketing strategy! Advertise the Caribbean as One Destination, implement visa waiver, utilize local resources and human resources to target key Chinese cities, select locals already employed within the tourism industry to learn Mandarin, publish tourism brochures specifically for Chinese visitors, set up trade shows, utilize social media, establish a tourism office in the People's Republic of China. The Antigua Government must employ a similar strategy to attract South American visitors to Antigua & Barbuda. According to Euromonitor International - Jamaica secured approximately 10,000 new airline seats from South America in 2012. 

 

The role of social media and the influence of Chinese visitors are now dictating tourism trends. This influence was cited over the last 2+ years in 'The Luxury Traveller and Social Media 2014: Asia' by Brand Karma at ILTM:  42% of all global luxury hotel reviews were written by Chinese tourists. In these circumstances, the changing demographics directly influence international tourism; also, the power of China's digital effectiveness is evident. Tourism operators worldwide are adopting new measures to entice Chinese visitors, and the Bahamas is one such country.

 

In 2006, the Bahamas signed the bilateral tourism agreement with China and was added to the list of ADS countries. In addition, the arrangement was advanced in January 2014. China and the Bahamas signed a visa waiver agreement for Chinese nationals. Jamaica subsequently followed the visa waiver in February 2014. The Bahamas US$3.5 billion funded mega-resort Baha Mar project is dubbed The New Riviera. The hotel, due to be opened by mid-December 2014, hopes to attract many visitors from Asia. 

Is Antigua & Barbuda, or any other Caribbean country, ready to market to the Chinese traveler collectively, integrating the Caribbean as ONE? 

Or is it that tourism stops the integration framework? This plan was also advocated by Caribbean Tourism Organization Chairman Beverly Nicholson Doty in her 2013 Christmas message. Still, on the other hand, freedom to work, particularly within Antigua & Barbuda tourism, is continuously exploited under the guise of Caribbean unification, and top-level jobs are given to white foreigners. Today, many CARICOM countries turn their backs on Haiti, subjecting the people of Haiti to stringent visa requirements. Isn't it time CARICOM leaders open their conscience to the people of Haiti and allow visa-free travel?

 

Tourism reminds me of the 2014 Football World Cup; in the face of poverty, Brazil expends US$14 billion, and FIFA gets US$4 billion of tax-free revenue. The same analogy applies to Antigua & Barbuda: the more government expands, the less is received by locals in employment and controlling the commanding heights of the industry. Like Brazil, we are trapped in Favelas of lost hope, bitter betrayal, and Shanty towns of injustice, drifting away in a trapped slum of grim reality! 

Where will we be left? 

Tomorrow will be as gloomy as yesterday unless we demand changes within the tourism industry! That will be the beginning of the revolution. Still, it starts long before we reach that goal, beginning with social and economic infrastructure for the benefit of citizens politically, economically, and socially.

Next article: A day of reckoning: The beginning of resistance