We tell you why investors are feeling confident about Antigua and Barbuda’s economy – and give you the very latest construction news from the Moon Gate site in this month’s newsletter. We also dish the dirt on sargassum seaweed, and aim the spotlight on Virgin Galactic female Astronauts, and Team Antigua Island Girls Pacific Ocean rowers some of the country’s most inspiring women.
All this and more to come – in Issue 22 of our Moon Gate newsletter.
Moon Gate Hotel & Spa is a Wise Investment Choice. Whether looking for a second home in the tropical Caribbean, an investment for appreciation in later years or the opportunity to obtain Antigua and Barbuda citizenship through the Citizen by Investment Programme (CIP), investing in Moon Gate can be a wise choice.
As with many boutique hotel projects there are limited windows of opportunity and time within which to participate. And there is no question that the age-old adage of “the early bird catches the worm” rings true when a wise investment has been made.
We welcome any enquires for investment in Moon Gate Hotel and Spa and our team will happily guide and advise on the various options and opportunities available.
From the Construction Desk. It’s been another busy month at the Moon Gate site. Work has been fast progressing on building two which saw third floor block work completed and the staircase and landing cast. Fourth floor slab form work has also begun. On building four, the third floor slab has been cast and block work is underway.
Let’s talk seaweed. You may have heard about the invasive sargassum seaweed that has been washing up in the region in recent years. Blooms of the weed have been affecting the east-facing shores of Florida, along with parts of Mexico and the Caribbean since 2011.
Happily, such influxes are temporary and the seaweed usually disappears as quickly as it appears. Sargassum originates close to the coast of South America and is carried by currents around the Florida peninsula on its way to the Sargasso Sea. Out at sea it provides a key environment role by forming rafts that serve as feeding and breeding grounds for many marine species.
Moon Gate Antigua is in the fortunate position of being set back sufficiently from the beach while enjoying a coastline that is less adversely affected than the island’s calmer east coast bays. Sargassum blooms in our pristine spot are infrequent and have rarely impacted the entire beach, but rest assured action will be taken whenever it occurs.
Safe as houses: Rosy outlook for Antigua and Barbuda’s economy. It’s not just healthy tourist arrival numbers and a protracted construction boom that augur well for Antigua and Barbuda’s economy this year. The twin island nation is also on track for robust real GDP growth. Estimates for the latter range from a conservative 5.5% from the International Monetary Fund to a whopping 9.4% predicted by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.
All of this is good news for investors. The local property market has shown remarkable resilience in the wake of the pandemic and ensuing global downturn. Consistent capital appreciation in the real estate sector means more and more people are choosing Antigua and Barbuda for a second home.
Team Antigua Island Girls
World’s Toughest Row – Pacific Ocean
Schahaff and Mayers are not the only Antiguan and Barbudan women currently putting the twin isles on the map. On July 23, national rowers Kevinia Francis, Samara Emmanuel and Christal Clashing finally reached the Hawaiian coastline after a gruelling 41 days at sea conquering the World’s Toughest Row.
The trio – who made history in January 2019 when they became the first all-Black team in the world to row an ocean upon completion of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge – have raised more than US$21K for charity with their epic Pacific voyage.
Virgin Galactic Astronauts 12 and 13
Forgive us if we sound a little excited. The Caribbean’s very first astronauts – who hail from right here in Antigua and Barbuda – are now just days away from blasting off into the stratosphere. Health and wellness coach Keisha Schahaff, 46, and her 18-year-old physics student daughter Anastatia Mayers will also be the first mother-duo daughter to visit space. The pair will be on board Virgin Galactic’s maiden space tourism flight on August 10 after winning their tickets in a charity sweepstake. VSS Unity will depart Spaceport America in New Mexico and head into sub-orbital space, giving passengers several minutes of weightlessness and spectacular views of Earth below.
