For the second consecutive year, Antigua and Barbuda proudly served as the host destination for the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s (CHTA) Caribbean Travel Marketplace (CTM) 2026, welcoming travel trade professionals, tour operators, and media from across the globe during Antigua and Barbuda Culinary Month in May. The event provided an immersive showcase of the destination’s world-class tourism offering, bringing together industry leaders against the backdrop of one of the Caribbean’s most naturally beautiful and culturally energetic nations.
CHTA is the region’s leading private sector tourism organization, representing national hotel and tourism associations and their members across more than 30 Caribbean destinations. Its flagship annual trade event, the Caribbean Travel Marketplace, connects international tour operators, travel agents, and airline partners with Caribbean tourism stakeholders for business appointments, networking, and destination discovery.
Speaking at the press conference held during CTM 2026, Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Transportation and Investment, The Honourable Charles H. Fernández and Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority (ABTA) Chief Executive Officer Colin C. James highlighted a powerful start to the year. Antigua and Barbuda recorded 110,832 stay-over arrivals in Q1 2026, compared to 103,843 in the same period in 2025, representing a 6.7% year-over-year increase. The growth was consistent across all three months. January arrivals rose 5% to 36,052; February climbed 6% to 36,133; and March posted the strongest gain at 8%, reaching 38,097 visitors.
The United Kingdom led source market growth for the first quarter of 2026, posting a 14% increase over the prior year for the same reporting period. For the quarter, the USA remains the single largest source market at 46% of stayover arrivals, followed by Europe (34%), Canada (12%), the Caribbean (5%), LATAM (1%), and other markets (2%). The destination is also actively pursuing diversification into Latin America and Africa as emerging growth corridors, in response to a global trend toward visitors seeking more authentic and immersive travel experiences.
The strong stayover performance is mirrored in the cruise sector, where Antigua and Barbuda is forecasting a 21.9% increase in arrivals for 2026, with projected cruise visitors reaching 894,469, up from 733,526 in 2019. Cruise ship calls are expected to grow from 388 to 483 over this same period, driven in part by increased home-porting activity. Supporting this growth, a new USD $30 million cruise terminal opened on January 24, 2026, as part of the broader Upland Development Project, designed to modernize the visitor arrival experience and expand cruise capacity. Full project completion is expected by July 2026.
New air routes are further opening up the destination to the world. Sunrise Airways launched twice-weekly service between Antigua and the Dominican Republic on May 1; Liat Air began twice-weekly flights to Guadeloupe on May 8; and Air Peace is set to launch an Antigua to Lagos via Barbados route on May 25, operating twice monthly. On the infrastructure side, the V.C. Bird International Airport runway rehabilitation and expansion is underway, and the newly opened Burton-Nibbs International Airport on sister island Barbuda has been purpose-built to support Barbuda’s growing eco-luxury tourism segment.
Investment in the destination’s accommodation offerings continues apace. Moon Gate Hotel & Spa is scheduled to open in 2026, offering 71 suites across nine buildings plus seven two-bedroom villas. On Barbuda, the Nobu Beach Inn is under construction with completion expected in late 2026. Looking further ahead, the Nikki Beach Resort and Spa, comprising 84 hotel rooms and 127 luxury residences, is targeting a 2029 launch, while the Rosewood Hotel Barbuda, with 50 resort suites and 35 residences, is slated for 2028. A Marriott Leisure World Hotel with 114 keys and eight overwater villas is also in development.
Recently named the ‘Caribbean’s Best Meetings and Conference Destination’ by the World Travel Awards, the destination’s proven capability as a host nation will reach a landmark moment later this year with the 28th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), scheduled November 1- 4, under the theme “Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth.” Between 3,000 and 5,000 delegates, participants, and media are expected, and Antigua and Barbuda will make history as the first CHOGM host to incorporate a concert and cricket tournament into the official program. Underpinning all of this is a firm government commitment to sustainable, high-value tourism, with conservation measures including the Redonda island restoration project, reef protection initiatives, anti-overfishing oversight, and a strategic focus on greater local community participation in the tourism product.
As global uncertainty continues to shape travel decision-making, Antigua and Barbuda is well-positioned to benefit from a growing shift toward safe, stable, and welcoming destinations. The dual-island nation’s reputation for calm, ease of access, and genuine hospitality places it at the heart of the Caribbean’s identity as a globally recognized zone of peace.
