With the goal to increase awareness of the destination and to promote more visits to the island, the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority (ABTA) has partnered with the Barbuda Council and U.K.-based creative agency Motel on the first-ever campaign to promote Barbuda.
While Antigua’s sister island of Barbuda is famous for its pink sand beaches, it has also been "virtually been untouched by tourism," according to ACTA, but for good reason. With a much smaller population (only 1,500 people) than Antigua, travellers can currently only get to Barbuda by boat, helicopter or in an eight-seater plane.
Shot on location in Barbuda by local photographer Mohammid Walbrook and Motel Creative Director David Boynes, the campaign will be running across press, social and travel media in the key ABTA markets such as Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. from 21MAR 2022.
With the limit on the number of visitors that can be accommodated at any one time, ABTA's launch campaign aims to position Barbuda as an "off the beaten track island escape," but this campaign doesn't "plead with customers to visit."
The iconic pink sand Luis Beach is the setting at the heart of the campaign. Given there is only “one ferry, two flights and ten taxis,” viewers of the campaign are encouraged to come and visit, “but please, not all at once.”
Antigua and Barbuda’s Tourism Minister Charles “Max” Fernandez has endorsed the campaign's creative approach: “This campaign cleverly helps manage expectations because if interested travellers can’t book a flight or room, they will understand exactly why. More than that, we hope that this idyllic campaign truly captures the uniqueness and warmth of the local Barbudan community and is in keeping with our strategy to show the world the unsurpassed beauty of the sister island.”
In the campaign’s two aerial films, shot by a drone, the silhouette of a tiny passenger plane can be seen flying above the water across the eleven miles of Luis Beach. This is accompanied by the background sound of lapping waves; and the national bird, the Frigate; interrupted only by the hum of the aircraft overhead. Barbuda is home to the largest Frigate Bird Colony in the western hemisphere, with over 100,000 birds living there, according to ABTA. Travellers can only visit this sanctuary by boat with a tour guide.
Colin C. James, Chief Executive Officer at ABTA comments: “We have spent many years marketing Barbuda as part of the overall Antigua and Barbuda package. Barbuda is a special place in its own right and has an increasing number of unique things to offer.”
The last 5 years have been a period of rebuilding following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Irma. According to ABTA, the development of tourist destinations including the Barbuda Ocean Club is nearing completion, and travellers can enjoy Nobu restaurant on Princess Diana Beach as well as the islands' first eco-hotel, which can only be reached by boat (Barbuda Belle).
For more information, visit the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority's web site.
