ST JOHN'S, Antigua- Antigua has again made international headlines after another tourist was killed on the small island Thursday night (Jan. 22).
News of the Australian yacht captain, Drew Gollan’s shooting death brought out the top echelon of the island’s Police Force to the scene of the crime, Antigua’s popular heritage site Nelson’s Dockyard.
According to reports in local media, Gollan, captain of a Perini Navi luxury sailing yacht, the Perseus, was walking through the English Harbour area when an unidentified male attacked and shot him in the chest. The gunman reportedly left Gollan’s female friend and a small child unharmed before making his get-away in a nearby car.
The motive for the shooting was rumoured to have been robbery; however no suspects have been apprehended to date.
Other yachtsmen docked in Antigua’s harbor have reportedly set sail after hearing of their colleague’s death. A local newspaper reported that at a captain’s meeting in St. Maarten, a decision was taken that “no single boat will return to Antigua”.
The island is in the midst of a recovery period following last July’s killing of a newly-wed British couple, Ben and Catherine Mullany. The Mullanys, both 31, were honeymooning at Cocos Hotel in the west of the island. Police theorised robbery to be the motive for the couple’s killing.
Though several persons were taken into custody following the couple’s murder, the two males charged have yet to be prosecuted. The July 27, 2008 double murder marked Antigua’s first tourist killing in 13 years.
SKNVibes interviewed a concerned local hotel employee who said although there was never a right time for any form of violence, the tourist’s murder could not have come at a worse period.
“With the global economy in turmoil, the Caribbean is already feeling the squeeze in the tourism area. Hotels that are normally booked to capacity during the winter months were at best seeing 60% occupancy this past season. Antigua cannot afford the repercussions of this latest incident. Even if they catch who did it, our reputation may be irreparably tarnished.”
As Tourism is Antigua's main industry, accounting for more than 60% of the country's gross domestic product, the ramifications of a second tourist killing will be decidedly severe.
Following the Mullanys’ murder, Minister of Tourism and Aviation, Hon. Harold Lovell had said, “We have to be concerned about the impact of this incident. It will have an effect on our tourism. Our brand is based on people being safe. We will not tolerate any action that will tarnish the reputation the country.”
Articulating words of assurance, Lovell told international media that the Antiguan government would be conducting a public relations campaign, particularly in its two largest markets-the UK and the US.
“We want to reassure people that the country is a safe destination, notwithstanding the crime problem. We have to ensure that our visitors feel safe.”
