Antigua and Barbuda travel advisor awards move to Toronto for 2026

The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority’s Canada office will host its 2026 Black Pineapple Awards gala in Toronto on Dec. 1, with top-performing travel advisors from across Canada fully hosted at the event.

Director of Tourism Tameka Wharton and Marketing and Communications Manager Kyle Christian announced the plans during a Facebook Live broadcast.

Wharton said the decision to hold this year’s gala in Toronto reflected the demands of hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda in November.

She said tourism officials determined they could not adequately accommodate the travel advisor community alongside preparations for the meeting, the largest international gathering the country has hosted.

The global Black Pineapple Awards, held in Antigua in 2024 and 2025, are scheduled to return in 2027. A date has not been announced.

Wharton said this year’s winners would still have an opportunity to qualify for the global awards next year. Some of the highest-performing Canadian advisors will also travel to Antigua with a guest on Dec. 2, immediately after the Toronto gala.

The authority is adding two award categories: Highest Group Booking Value and Top Performing Agency. The agency category will recognize businesses where multiple advisors record bookings under one owner’s name.

The existing categories are Most Individual Bookings Made, Most Room Nights Booked and Highest Total Value of Bookings.

Advisors are being encouraged to review their records and log eligible Antigua and Barbuda bookings made between Oct. 1, 2025, and Nov. 6, 2026.

Those needing help recording bookings can contact the authority’s Admin Support for Agents Programme at CanadaAdminSupport@visitaandb.com.

Travel advisors can also visit AntiguaBarbudaTA.com to become destination specialists and log bookings.

Source: Antigua News Room Antigua and Barbuda will host Black Pineapple Awards in Canada in 2026.