Anguilla tops Virtuoso’s festive Caribbean rankings

Anguilla was named Virtuoso’s No. 1 Caribbean destination and No. 3 country worldwide for holiday-season travel, with West End also landing in the network’s global top 10. The rankings highlight rising demand for high-end Caribbean escapes as festive bookings for 2026 run well ahead of last year.

Why it matters: - Anguilla’s ranking reinforces its position as a luxury Caribbean destination during the peak holiday travel window. - The recognition could help drive more high-value bookings for resorts, villas and travel advisors selling festive trips. - West End’s No. 8 global ranking gives the island an additional destination-level selling point.

What happened: - Virtuoso ranked Anguilla No. 1 in the Caribbean and No. 3 worldwide for festive travel, based on data presented at Virtuoso Travel Week 2026 in Las Vegas. - West End, Anguilla, placed No. 8 among the network’s top individual festive destinations worldwide. - The festive travel period covers Dec. 15 through Jan. 7. - Jameel Rochester, director of tourism for the Anguilla Tourist Board, called the ranking a validation of Anguilla’s luxury positioning.

The details: - Anguilla finished behind only the United States and Mexico in Virtuoso’s Festive Travel Top 10 Countries list. - The island ranked ahead of Turks & Caicos, St. Barts, Antigua & Barbuda and the Cayman Islands. - Virtuoso says the network links more than 20,000 travel advisors with over 2,200 hotels, cruise lines and tour operators. - Bookings made through Virtuoso advisors include exclusive client benefits and represent a significant share of high-value luxury travel. - Festive sales for 2026 are pacing 56% ahead of the comparable period in 2025. - Festive bookings are up 65% year over year, based on Virtuoso intelligence shared at the event. - Virtuoso’s broader 2026 State of Travel presentation showed overall network sales growth of 20.8% year over year, excluding air, as of June 2026. - The Anguilla Tourist Board is represented at Virtuoso Travel Week 2026 by Chantelle Richardson, Merla Smith-Halley and Vivian Chambers. - The event brings together thousands of luxury travel professionals and providers from more than 100 countries.

Between the lines: - The ranking suggests travelers are still prioritizing intimate, upscale Caribbean escapes for the holidays. - Anguilla’s beaches, resorts, villas and culinary scene appear to be resonating with Virtuoso’s luxury audience. - The island’s strong showing also signals that smaller Caribbean destinations can compete with larger markets for premium seasonal demand.

What's next: - Anguilla will likely use the Virtuoso rankings in luxury sales and marketing efforts heading into the holiday booking season. - Continued growth in festive bookings could strengthen the island’s appeal among advisors specializing in high-end travel. - The tourism board is expected to keep promoting Anguilla’s resorts, villas and dining scene to the Virtuoso network.

The bottom line: - Anguilla is gaining ground as a premier festive-season luxury escape, and Virtuoso’s latest rankings put that momentum in the spotlight.