Tourist Murder Tarnishes Antigua’s Image

If your country’s primary source of income is tourism, the last thing you want is for travelers to be afraid to visit. Sadly, that is precisely what tourism leaders fear this week on the Caribbean island of Antigua, in the aftermath of a grisly murder last week. Despite an extensive police manhunt, the culprit has not yet been apprehended.

Bay Area-based vacationer Nina Elizabeth Nilssen, 30, was found dead last Tuesday evening in an isolated area near Pigeon Point Beach, on Antigua’s southeast coast, with a stab wound to her neck. The incident comes almost exactly a year after Aussie yacht skipper Drew Gollan was murdered at English Harbor. The year before, a British couple, Ben and Catherine Mullany, were murdered at the Cocos Hotel on the last day of their honeymoon.

While Antigua’s overall crime rate is minimal compared to any American or European city, the impact of such sensational events can have a long-lasting affect on the health of its tourism picture. “Our livelihood as a nation is at stake, and we really all need to work together to ensure that our tourism product is nurtured and protected,” said Antigua and Barbuda Tourism’s Chief Executive Officer Colin James in a radio interview. A $2,000 USD reward is being offered for info that leads to the perpetrator’s capture and conviction.