Anguilla lands eight World Travel Awards nominations for 2026

Anguilla and several of its top resorts earned eight destination nominations and multiple property nods in the 2026 World Travel Awards, highlighting the island’s strength in luxury travel, beaches, dining and guest experience. Public voting is open through Aug. 28 ahead of the Caribbean & The Americas gala on Oct. 11 in Jamaica.

Why it matters: - The nominations put Anguilla in contention for major Caribbean travel honors at a time when destination awards can influence visitor perception and booking decisions. - The recognition spans the island brand and individual properties, signaling broad depth across the tourism sector rather than one standout asset. - Public voting is open through Aug. 28 at the World Travel Awards voting page, and industry votes count double.

What happened: - Anguilla earned nominations in eight categories for the 33rd annual World Travel Awards. - The Anguilla Tourist Board and the destination are nominated for Caribbean’s Leading Beach Destination, Caribbean’s Leading Culinary Destination, Caribbean’s Leading Destination, Caribbean’s Leading Dive Destination, Caribbean’s Leading Luxury Island Destination, Caribbean’s Leading Nature Destination, Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board and Caribbean’s Most Romantic Destination. - Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club was nominated for Caribbean’s Leading Resort. - Zemi Beach House, LXR Hotels & Resorts was nominated for Caribbean’s Leading Beach Resort. - Four Seasons Resort and Residences Anguilla was nominated for Caribbean’s Leading Hotel Residences and Caribbean’s Leading Wedding Resort. - Winners will be announced Oct. 11, 2026, at the World Travel Awards Caribbean & The Americas Gala Ceremony at Princess Grand Jamaica.

The details: - Anguilla also received multiple island-specific nominations across beach resorts, boutique hotels, family resorts, hotel suites, luxury hotel villas, wedding resorts, car rental companies and tour operators. - The nominations reflect categories tied to the island’s core tourism strengths: beaches, cuisine, luxury, diving and nature. - The full nominees list is available at the 2026 Caribbean nominees page. - Jameel Rochester, Anguilla’s director of tourism, said the nominations reflect the collective excellence of the island’s tourism partners, the warmth of its people and the authentic experiences that set the destination apart. - Rochester urged people who have experienced Anguilla to vote.

Between the lines: - The dual recognition of the destination and its properties suggests Anguilla is competing on both brand strength and product quality. - The spread of nominations across multiple categories also helps reinforce Anguilla’s positioning as a luxury island with broad appeal, not just a beach destination. - The awards process gives the tourism board a near-term opportunity to convert visibility into votes and, potentially, further market momentum.

What's next: - Voting remains open until Aug. 28, 2026. - The next key milestone is the gala ceremony in Jamaica on Oct. 11, when winners will be announced. - Anguilla tourism officials will likely use the nominations to keep the destination in front of travelers and industry voters ahead of the deadline.

The bottom line: - Anguilla enters the 2026 World Travel Awards with strong momentum across the destination and its top properties, and the final outcome now depends on votes over the next few days.