Antigua and Barbuda Takes Carnival, Cuisine and Culture to New York in Prime-Time Caribbean Week Showcase

With Antigua Carnival approaching and the island's culinary profile riding high on the global stage, Antigua and Barbuda's tourism delegation seized a prime-time television opportunity in New York this week to put the destination in front of one of its most important visitor markets.

Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez appeared on PIX11 News alongside Senator Angelica O'Donoghue, U.S. Market Director Dean Fenton, and Senior Digital Marketing Officer Abena Merchant as part of promotional activities organised during the annual Caribbean Week tourism event in New York.

Showcasing the Destination's Pillars

The delegation highlighted attractions including the Frigate Bird Sanctuary in Barbuda and the historic Nelson's Dockyard — a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Antigua. Fernandez also spoke about the country's focus on sustainable tourism and promoted locally produced English Harbour Rum.

Carnival and Culinary Month in the Spotlight

With Antigua Carnival approaching, officials used the opportunity to spotlight the festival's role in celebrating the country's music, culture, and traditions. The minister also pointed to the success of Antigua and Barbuda's Culinary Month, noting that local cuisine remains an important part of the visitor experience.

The timing of the promotion could not be better calibrated. Antigua and Barbuda has enjoyed a string of high-profile international moments in recent weeks — from the BBC MasterChef feature that beamed the island's food heritage into millions of British homes, to a World Culinary Awards recognition as the Caribbean's Best Emerging Culinary City Destination. The Caribbean Week PIX11 appearance adds another major North American market impression to that growing portfolio of visibility.

The appearance formed part of a wider schedule of media engagements, trade meetings, and tourism promotion activities undertaken by the Antigua and Barbuda delegation during Caribbean Week in New York.

Caribbean Week in New York is one of the most important annual gatherings for Caribbean tourism marketing in the United States — a platform that puts island nations directly in front of American travel media, trade partners, and the large Caribbean diaspora community in the New York metropolitan area. For a destination that counts North America as its primary visitor market, the week's activities carry direct and measurable commercial significance for the upcoming season.