Antigua & Barbuda shares the love

Antigua and Barbuda brought the spirit of the islands to life last night, with an elegant yet exuberant gathering for travel advisors which combined elements of the destination with a whole lot of fun between friends.

Held in anticipation for the fast-approaching 2015-16 winter season, the purpose of the evening, according to  Marie Walker, vice-president sales and marketing for the USA and Canada, Antigua and Barbuda Ministry of Tourism, was simply to connect.

“We wanted to create an opportunity to give a wealth of information to the agent firsthand, so they know what the best travel options are for their clients,” she told PAX.

More than 100 agents attended the dinner, intimate supplier tradeshow and presentations, engaging information – and dance moves - from the islands’ supplier partners Air Canada Vacations, Sandals, WestJet Vacations, TravelBrands, Rex Resorts, Hermitage Bay, Sugar Ridge and Jolly Beach.

Walker said that event organizers had to close their RSVP list to aspiring guests, as demand for the event – which shared a night with a certain election and baseball game – was overwhelming.

“It really speaks to the commitment of the travel advisors who sell Antigua and Barbuda that they’ve come out in such numbers tonight,” she said.

And those who came out weren’t disappointed; between the lively soundtrack and playful air – not to mention the surprise performance of To Sir (or in this case, ‘agent’) with Love from Tameka Wharton, sales and marketing manager, Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Office – the entire night felt more akin to a reunion than a tourism event.

As promised earlier in the year, Antigua and Barbuda continues to strengthen its presence as a Caribbean destination for Canadians, promoting the opening of its brand new 247,570 square foot terminal at its V C Bird Intl. Airport in April, which includes WiFi and a wedding chapel, to investments being made in the islands’ ports, heritage sites and infrastructure.

Antigua enjoys non-stop service from both Air Canada and WestJet, and is the proud location of precisely 365 pink-sanded beaches, in addition to, Walker pointed out, “a potpourri of delicious travel possibilities for travellers to enjoy.”

Below are a few more reasons why life is sweet in Antigua and Barbuda:

• Antigua and Barbuda won the 2015 World Travel Award for the Caribbean’s most romantic destination
• True to form, the islands do not require residency for guests to be legally married; indeed, couples can be wed within as quickly as 24 hours at V C Bird Intl. Airport’s new Sugarmill Chapel.
• Robert DeNiro has partnered with billionaire James Packer to spearhead the Paradise Found project, set to revitalise the K-Club resort on Barbuda, which closed five years ago, with an investment of US$250 million.
• Barbuda is also home to Frigate Bird Sanctuary, one of the largest bird preserves in the Caribbean.
• As a result of its efforts to expand its position as a destination within the cruise industry, Antigua has enjoyed one of its strongest seasons to date in that respect, with 400,253 cruise passengers arrivals from Jan-June 2015 alone.