Antigua and Barbuda’s government is reshaping the proposed Yepton Beach hotel development into an inclusive public-private partnership (PPP) designed to open ownership stakes to domestic citizens and institutions, rather than ceding full control to foreign investors, Prime Minister Gaston Browne announced Saturday.
Speaking during his regular weekly segment on Pointe FM, Browne outlined that the revised project structure aligns with the administration’s overarching policy goal: expanding local involvement across the nation’s $1.3bn tourism industry, the country’s primary economic driver, by creating clear investment pathways for ordinary citizens and state-backed entities. Unlike the country’s historic approach to tourism development, which sees the government sell land outright to foreign developers, the administration will maintain a permanent equity holding in the Yepton Beach project under the new framework.
“We’re pursuing a public-private partnership structure,” Browne explained, noting that the model is crafted to guarantee the nation captures multiple layers of benefit from the resort development. Beyond the short-term gains of construction activity and new local jobs, the PPP structure will allow Antiguans and Barbudans to share in the long-term revenue and profits generated by the coastal hotel.
Under the proposed arrangement, key domestic institutions including the national Social Security Scheme will be invited to take equity positions alongside the selected private developer and international hospitality brand. This structure creates accessible opportunities for Antiguan and Barbudan citizens at all income levels to hold shares in the high-potential resort project, a departure from the country’s long-standing status quo.
For decades, tourism development in Antigua and Barbuda has followed a template where foreign investors hold full ownership and operational control of major resorts, with local participation restricted almost entirely to low and mid-level employment roles. Browne emphasized that shifting this dynamic is a core priority for his administration. “We want our people to have ownership,” he stated.
Beyond expanding local economic inclusion, retaining a government equity stake will also unlock long-term fiscal benefits: the public sector will profit from future gains in the property’s value, creating a sustained stream of public revenue instead of a one-time payout from a land sale. Browne added that the balanced strategy supports both inclusion and growth: it enables citizens to build personal wealth through direct participation in profitable tourism assets, while still maintaining the open investment climate that attracts international capital and well-known global hotel brands to the country’s shores.