TORONTO— The Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority hosted an evening at Blu Ristorante in Yorkville to reward its industry partners for their instrumental part in the success the destination has been having this year.
Canada is Antigua & Barbuda’s third largest source market, and with that in mind Colin C. James, CEO of The Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority has been making the most of his time here, meeting with airline partners, tour operators and media during a three-day tour with his team in the GTA.
The Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority team
Travelweek had the opportunity to sit down with James at last night’s event to get the 411 on the destination.
“This year has been a great year for Antigua & Barbuda with Canadian visitors,” said James. “Due to efforts, Canadian visitation has been increasing in the summer months. This year, for the first time, WestJet has had two flights a week all year round instead of their normal service reductions in the summertime.”
One new accommodation option is the couples-only Royalton CHIC Antigua, a Blue Diamond Resort, which opened in April on Dickenson Bay with 230 rooms. It’s constructing some over-the-water bungalows as well, which will be ready by the end of the year. “It’s modern with an eclectic Miami Beach vibe, that’s very beautiful and doing quite well. An upscale and upmarket product,” said James.
Also noteworthy, Hawksbill Resort Antigua has reopened following a refurbishment. Hawksbill has traditionally been popular with Canadian travellers.
Travellers can get “two islands for the price of one,” as James described Antigua and Barbuda. According to James, Barbuda is one of the hottest up-and-coming destinations in the region, with some even calling it the new St. Bart’s. “A new airport will open in the next few weeks to handle all private jet arrivals. It’s a product for very high-end clientele that we wish to promote,” he said.
Barbuda, with a population around only 1,500 people, is 44 kilometres from Antigua, reachable by two-hour ferry or 15-minute puddle jump flight. Most Antigua tourists visit Barbuda just for the day. “It’s beautiful and unspoiled, purposefully kept low-density to preserve the environment. It’s known for its famous Princess Diana Beach, as she used to vacation there with her sons. It has 27 kilometres of unbroken sand, which is unparalleled. This beach also has the only Nobu restaurant in the Caribbean and, fun fact, the only Nobu where diners can take a dip in the ocean between courses should they choose,” said James.
In December, the Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority will host the Black Pineapple Awards. The A&BTA will pick 100 top producers globally and bring them to the destination for an all-expenses-paid incentive trip with awards ceremony. Some 25 of the 100 chosen will be from Canada, so be sure to log all bookings from October 2023 to October 2024. Black Pineapple is Antigua & Barbuda’s national fruit and “the sweetest variety of pineapple anywhere on the planet,” James explained.
Agents can become Antigua & Barbuda experts by utilising TAConnect, which is an online portal that offers training on every aspect of the destination like how to get to it, the time zones, currency and languages, to name a few.
Of note, from Canada, the destination is particularly popular with couples and families. June is romance month with a focus on weddings and honeymooners.
For sports tourism, kitesurfing is a growing attraction with plans in the works for a regional kitesurfing event. Cricket has proved to be a particularly large draw from Canada and this year has been designated as the year of cricket.
Overall, said James, “we’re pleased with the way numbers from Canada have been trending and growing. We want to reinforce to the travel trade that it’s a safe destination, a destination that Canadians can get to easily. In 4.5 hours, travellers can get from Toronto to the beach by 2:30 in the afternoon. It’s an easy sell with a wide array of product from high-end to budget, large to boutique, that’s the key message.”
To learn more, go to VisitAntiguaBarbuda.com.
