Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Michael Pintard called for a strategic plan to increase stopover visitor numbers while speaking with reporters outside of the House Of Assembly on Wednesday.

Pintard said, “we welcome any increase in numbers for cruise visitors cause any dollar spent is valuable. We don’t want to make the mistake of substituting stopover visitors who over time become cruise visitors and that is essentially what has happened. Look at what has happened in terms of the amount of persons who are coming here from Florida as stopover visitors and that number having become stagnant whereas the number of cruise visitors has increased. So we stand by our comments.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investment and Aviation, the Hon. Chester Cooper responded to Pintard’s comments while speaking to reporters on Wednesday afternoon. “I have said on numerous occasions that in order to truly advance growth in stopovers we need more rooms. We’re limited in room capacity. Maybe the Leader of the Opposition can go and invest in some hotels and encourage others if he wishes to be helpful but I think the government is doing its part. We’ve attracted more than $10 billion of investments a lot of it is in the touristic space.”

Cooper also revealed that he has invited the Leader of the Opposition on at least three occasions to be briefed on tourist arrivals but he has never shown up.