It was announced on April 4 at a press conference in Antigua that Saint John's Development Corporation has retained Miami-based http://www.globaldd.com/ to conduct its trademarked Cruise Destination Fitness Test for the Antigua and Barbuda government. Work began April 2 on the test, which will assess the Port of Antigua and Heritage Quay.

Established in February 1986, the St. John's Development Corporation, which falls under the Ministry of Tourism headed by the Hon. John Maginley, is the government department responsible for the enhancement and development of the City of St. John's, the principle commercial center of Antigua and Barbuda.

In addressing the need Minister Maginley stated, "I am very pleased to be able to allocate funding for the major part of this study in support of St. John's Development Corporation's joint plan with the Ministry of Tourism to chart a plan for our Cruise Business Development over the next 15 to 20 years."

Chairman of Saint John's Development Corp. Sylvester Brown said, "We plan to use the findings of the test to determine physical improvements to make Antigua an even more attractive destination for cruise lines."

Created by Michael Greve, president of Global Destinations Development, the Cruise Destination Fitness Test provides a realistic assessment of a port's prospects in the industry, including recommendations for improvement. The test analyzes major attributes that contribute to a cruise destination's success, including geographic location, docks, condition of the town, marketing attractiveness to cruisers and travel agents, direct costs of calling, on-board revenue potential, operations and guest satisfaction.

Greve said he anticipates the test will be completed by June, with St. John's Development Corp. to start implementing improvements later in the year.