Antigua and Barbuda Tourism officials have successfully participated in the 42nd edition of the Caribbean Travel Marketplace, hosted by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) in Jamaica.

The delegation from the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, led by CEO Colin C. James and UK and Europe Director of Tourism Cherrie Osborne, collaborated with leading tourism partners, including the Antigua and Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association represented by Executive Director Patrice Simon. Other participants included representatives from Carlisle Bay, Sun Tours, Tamarind Hills, Cocos, Keyonna, Hawksbill, Blue Waters, and Elite Island Resorts. Their mission was to promote Antigua and Barbuda at the event, which unites buyers and sellers of the region’s tourism products and services.

Key discussions focused on increasing airlift capacity, securing more business through strategic marketing agreements, showcasing new hotel offerings, and promoting destination events, particularly in cricket, as Antigua and Barbuda celebrates a year of cricket. The delegation engaged in over forty-five meetings with travel trade and airline partners to assess the destination’s performance, chart progress, and explore future collaboration opportunities.

Reflecting on the meetings, ABTA CEO Colin C. James stated: “Antigua and Barbuda has had a phenomenal 2023/2024 winter season. All our major source markets experienced growth in stay-over visitor arrivals for the first quarter of 2024 when compared to the same period in 2023.”

Antigua and Barbuda welcomed 97,341 stay-over visitors in the first quarter of 2024, an 11% increase compared to 87,667 visitors in the same period of 2023. Additionally, the 2024 first-quarter figures are 7% higher than those of the benchmark year, 2019. James added, “Our partners are buoyed by the destination’s positive performance, and we can expect to benefit further from the notable increases in airlift capacity which is a result of strong demand for the destination and robust marketing, with the increase of British Airways flights to seven for the 2024/2025 winter season and the return of Condor in November, set to open up the Central European market.”