July 31, 2006
Antigua & Barbuda links with Venezuela

(Antigua Sun) - "LIAT, the Caribean airline, is expected to play an integral role as the Ministry of Tourism moves ahead with plans to create links between Antigua & Barbuda and Venezuela.

LIAT's Chief Operations Officer Daniel Oliver was part of a delegation, led by Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation Harold Lovell, which recently travelled to Venezuela to hold discussions with officials in that country.

Oliver took part in meetings with representatives of Venezuela's Conviasa Airlines and that country's Civil Aviation Authority during which possible agreements of cooperation between LIAT and Conviasa were discussed. Venezuela's Ministry of Tourism Wilmar Castro Soteldo has also held meetings in Antigua with LIAT's management.

If finalised, these arrangements would pave the way for easier air travel between Antigua and Central America.

The plan to use flights between Antigua and Venezuela as a gateway for this country to tap into Central and South American air travel was announced back in July, after Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer and Minister Lovell held talks with Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez.

According to a statement coming out of his ministry, Minister Lovell followed up on this, reaching an agreement that both governments would 'promote marketing aimed at establishing air links between Antigua & Barbuda and Venezuela, as well as markets in Brazil and Colombia.'

The agreement has also been linked to the tourism minister's efforts, last week, to forge closer links with that French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe.

In order to facilitate easy exchange of tourists and visitors, the Ministry of Tourism's agreement with Venezuela also addressed an approach through which English, French and Spanish can be utilised in facilities used by tourists in Antigua & Barbuda, Venezuela or Guadeloupe.

Minister Lovell was also able to work out an agreement with the Venezuelan Ministry of Tourism for Antigua & Barbuda to participate in an international tourism fair which will be held in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas in September".