The head of Antigua and Barbuda tourism says that if Canada was a condiment, it would be hot sauce.
“Because Canadians keep coming to visit,” Colin James, CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, said at a splashy event in Toronto on 13AUG. “Canadians have fallen in love with Antigua and Barbuda in a big way.”
In a sit-down chat with Open Jaw on a sunny patio at a downtown restaurant, James said he was in Toronto to meet with top partners, including Sunwing, WestJet, Air Canada and TravelBrands.
“Canada is our third-largest market (after the US and the UK), and there’s been very strong growth.”
James said more than 21,000 Canadians visited the two islands in the first half of this year, up 9% from 2023. The best year ever for Canadian visits was 2019, with 32,000 visitors. James is confident this year will beat the record, as 2024 is already up 13% over 2019 numbers.
Increased airlift has been a big part of the story, he said. WestJet now has two flights a week to Antigua from Toronto. Antigua and Barbuda also is one of the few places in the Eastern Caribbean where Air Canada has kept its summer service, he said.
“Being able to get to the destination directly multiple times in a week has really, really helped. WestJet is working closely with us. We’ve been pushing Carnival. June was Romance Month. We’ve had Restaurant Week, and we had cricket, lovely cricket.”
The Four Knights, some of Antigua and Barbuda’s biggest cricket stars came to Toronto in May to raise awareness of the destination.
James also noted the World Cup of Cricket was partly played in Antigua in June. Antigua also has a team, The Falcons, in the Caribbean Premier League, with eight or nine matches this summer and fall. The British cricket team will tour the West Indies in October and November.
“Agents need to know we’re easy to get to,” he said. “You can also travel to Antigua with a quick stop in the U.S.”
“We’re also a very safe destination, with one of the lowest crime rates if not the lowest in the Eastern Caribbean. “Our guests when they come to Antigua are safe. You can rent a car and drive around and see the island.”
Yours truly did that eight or 10 years ago and had a blast, checking out the view from Shirley Heights, admiring the boats at Nelson’s Dockyard, and checking out a beautiful art gallery in a flower-filled valley, the Fig Tree Studio Art Gallery.”
“There’s so much to do, whether it’s snorkeling or water sports, or circumnavigating the island on a tour, or taking the boat to Barbuda, or enjoying Shirley Heights on a Sunday.”
“We like to say it’s a holistic vacation,” he said. “There’s a lot to do. It’s not like some destinations where you’re sort of closeted in the resort and don’t get to go anywhere. We encourage folks to get out and explore our culinary scene, and to enjoy our beaches, As you know, we have 365 beaches.”
“I also think advisors should know that with Barbuda you get two islands for the price of one. A day trip to the Barbuda is a must.”
James said there’s a Nobu restaurant on the beach in Barbuda, “the only Nobu in the Caribbean,” but the Nobu hotel has yet to break ground.
There also have been plenty of new resorts and hotels and improvements to existing properties that agents should know about.
“The Royalton Chic opened in April of this year with 230 rooms and overwater bungalows. Hawksbill has been totally renovated with I think 110 rooms. There’s a lot of new product.
“Curtain Bluff has new, additional rooms, and Tamarind Hills has expanded as well. That’s more of a villa-type place, and they’re up to I think 57 rooms.”
James said advisors should check out Antigua and Barbuda’s Travel Agent Connect program.
“It’s a portal we encourage all agents to be registered on. They can be trained on selling the destination. More importantly, they can log their bookings and be part of an incentives program we have.”
In December, Antigua and Barbuda will host a “first of its kind” award program called the Black Pineapple Awards, with all expense paid trips to the destination. One hundred agents will be brought in from 6DEC to 9DEC of this year, including the top 25 booking agents from Canada.
“It’s important to reward the people who give you the best of their profession.”
Later, during presentations to agents and valued partners, James told advisors he was grateful for their friendship.
“You guys help me to pay my mortgage,” he said with a grin. He also thanked Jesson and Co., which handles their media relations in Canada.
James also told a joke about the time two Canadians flew to Antigua for a holiday.
“The waiter at their hotel asked where they were from. One person said, “Saskatoon.” The other said, “Saskatchewan.”
The general manager of the hotel later asked the worker where the two guests were visiting from.
“I don’t know, boss,” the waiter replied. “They don’t speak English.”
