Great time to visit Antigua
Antigua -- March 20, 2007 -- It’s the biggest sporting event ever to be held in the Caribbean – the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup is almost here and with it comes weeks of exciting revelry for this multi-island event. Cricket is the national pastime of Antigua and Barbuda and the islands have generated many top players, most notably Sir Vivian Richards, a legendary Antiguan cricketer. The excitement for the international sporting event will grow when Antigua hosts six of the Super 8 round of matches March 27-April 8, 2007.
You don’t have to be British to get caught up in the thrill of Cricket World Cup. It’s a great time to visit Antigua and Barbuda and soak in the local culture with plenty of special events designed for locals and visitors to mingle. Cricket is the baseball of Antigua and Barbuda. America’s national pastime and cricket are members of a family of similar bat-and-ball games, so it’s easy to enjoy watching both sports.
“With paradise as the backdrop the ICC Cricket World Cup games in Antigua are an event to behold,” said Derede Samuel-Whitlock, Antigua and Barbuda’s director of tourism for the United States. “We anticipate a great number of visitors during Cricket World Cup and wish for them to share in our excitement at hosting the games. Special Caribbean music and jazz concerts, seafood and barbecue festivals and beach parties on our beautiful white sand can be enjoyed by all.”
Antigua will host its appointed games in the new $54 million, state-of-the-art (and an architectural wonder to behold in itself) Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium. The stadium, which is being constructed to accommodate 10,000 guests, will have 8,000 temporary seats added to support the influx of thousands of eager fans.
For more information on the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, please visit www.cricketworldcup.com <http://www.cricketworldcup.com> . For information on Antigua and Barbuda, visit www.antigua-barbuda.org.
The Antigua and Barbuda Ministry of Tourism would also like to remind travelers of new passport requirements: Beginning January 8, 2007, the U.S. Department of State will require all U.S. citizens traveling via air or sea to present a valid passport for travel and re-entry into the United States. For information on obtaining a U.S. passport, visit the U S Passport Services Web site: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html or contact the U.S National Passport Information Center, (877) 487-2778.
Media Contact:
Marie Kephart, (407) 838-1827, Marie.Kephart@ypbr.com
Heather Keroes, (407) 838-1704, Heather.Keroes@ypbr.com