By Michael Baginski/ Tiny Anguilla has a big heart. So says Kimberly King of the Anguilla Tourist Board (ATB), who visited Toronto and Montreal last week to update the trade on the most recent developments on the Caribbean island. “(Anguillans) are very, very friendly and offer warm hospitality,” she said. “(Visiting) us is a very authentic experience.”
This in addition to unrivalled island vistas, 33 beaches fronting impossibly Azul waters, and dozens of offshore cays – all packed into a mere 38 sq. km.
Commonly regarded as a luxury destination, the British Overseas Territory nevertheless has great mid-market options, King told Travel Industry Today, city plenty of boutique and villa accommodation, but all-inclusives or high rises. “It’s like a private island,” she observes.
Located just a 25-minute ferry ride from St. Martin – or via “the world’s shortest flight” (seven minutes – the island is also easy to reach, and as such also makes for part of ideal multi-destination vacation.
Despite it’s small stature, Anguilla is also big on active opportunities, from boating and watersports to hiking and ATV excursions along the scenic coast.
There are also 100-plus restaurants on-island, making it a foodie paradise.
All things considered, Anguilla is also the ultimate wedding destination, King adds.
Key developments
- Anguilla’s airport redevelopment plan is expected to be completed this Fall with the completion of a new passenger terminal building followed by an extension of the runway by 2026/27, the latter of which King hopes will bring direct flights from Canada.
- Anguilla’s “Exclusively Yours” campaign drove a 25.2% increase in stayover arrivals in 2024 compared to 2023, marking the highest June stayover arrivals in the past 30 years. July 2024 saw a 20.3% increase in stayover arrivals compared to 2023, also the highest for July in the last 30 years.
- Both Four Seasons and Belmond Cap Juluca will bring renewed vigour into the latter half of 2025, with new restaurants and lounges. The improvements and upgrades come in the wake of the Cap Juluca’s 5-star recognition from the 2025 Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards – joining the Four Seasons (5-star), Aurora Anguilla (4-star), QHotel (4-star), and Zemi (highly recommended).
- Anguilla is in the initial stages of developing a Travel Advisor Program, which will empower travel agents to better understand and share Anguilla’s appeal through closer collaboration with the ATB. More details are forthcoming.
Meanwhile, Including the popular Moonsplash Musical Festival, which took place earlier in March, 2025 is shaping up to be a landmark year for events and programs in Anguilla, including the return of Anguilla’s Summer Festival, the Festival Del Mar, and The Anguilla Culinary Experience (ACE)/
Anguilla will also be rolling out expanded Volun-Tourism programs aimed at giving visitors the chance to give back to the community and further Anguilla’s goal of becoming the region’s most sustainable island.
For more information, visit https://ivisitanguilla.com/.
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