As the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda grapples with a rising wave of violent crime, Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister E.P. Chet Greene has issued a stark public warning about the potentially catastrophic economic fallout of inaction, highlighting that persistent criminal activity could lead major foreign governments to roll out restrictive travel advisories that would devastate the country’s core tourism industry.
Greene laid out his urgent concerns during an interview on the local current-affairs radio show *Beneath the Surface*, pushing back against efforts to frame rising crime as a wedge issue for partisan political gain. He emphasized that the entire national economy is tied to consistent tourist arrivals, so allowing political rivalries to overshadow coordinated action would harm not just large corporate stakeholders, but thousands of working people and small business owners across the island.
Addressing opposition figure Pringle directly, Greene reminded that Antigua and Barbuda’s economic model remains overwhelmingly reliant on international tourism. “Let me remind Pringle that we’re still a tourism-dependent country, and if this continues, somebody in the north will issue a travel advisory,” he told listeners.
That warning extends far beyond the country’s large luxury hotel complexes, Greene explained. Small, informal and micro-enterprises that form the backbone of local communities — from taxi drivers and street souvenir vendors to independent restaurant owners — all draw their income directly from visitor spending. These businesses collectively make up a large share of Antigua and Barbuda’s national tax base, so even a small dip in tourist arrivals driven by safety concerns would send ripples through every sector of the economy.
Greene’s remarks came during a broader national conversation about surging gun violence, inconsistent criminal sentencing, and the urgent need for a unified cross-sector strategy to curb violent crime. He stressed that Antigua and Barbuda cannot afford to slide into the pattern of sustained high violent crime that has plagued other Caribbean nations for decades, with long-lasting damage to their international reputations and economic outlooks.
Calling for an end to partisan point-scoring, Greene argued that the current public safety crisis demands national unity rather than opportunistic attempts to win political advantage. “Crime and violence threaten the country’s peace, stability and economic future, making it necessary for the government, opposition, judiciary, law enforcement and wider public to support a common response,” he said.
Allowing violent crime to continue unaddressed, he warned, would permanently erode Antigua and Barbuda’s brand as a safe, welcoming tropical travel destination — a reputation that took decades to build and would be extremely difficult to repair. Closing with a plea for urgent collective action, Greene urged all national leaders to unite behind practical, workable crime-reduction solutions, stressing that the country cannot afford to delay action and allow violent crime to become an entrenched part of national life.