Antigua and Barbuda is bringing its Black Pineapple Awards to Canada this year, with the country’s top-selling travel advisors to be celebrated at a gala in Toronto on December 1, 2026.
The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority (ABTA) announced the change during a Facebook Live session hosted by Director of Tourism Tameka Wharton and Marketing and Communications Manager Kyle Christian.
The awards, which recognize travel advisors for their bookings to the twin-island destination, were previously held in Antigua and Barbuda in 2024 and 2025, bringing together top-producing advisors from international markets.
This year's change of venue comes as Antigua and Barbuda prepares to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November, the largest international meeting in the country's history.
Wharton explained that hosting both events so close together would have made it difficult to accommodate the travel advisor community to the standard organizers had hoped for.
However, the international Black Pineapple Awards are not going away. Wharton confirmed that the global event is expected to return to Antigua and Barbuda in 2027, with a date still to be announced.
"You will be celebrated twice, possibly, because everybody who was awarded this year still has an opportunity to go to Antigua for the Black Pineapple Awards global, next year," Wharton said.
And for some Canadian advisors, a trip to Antigua and Barbuda is still on the calendar this December.
"On the second of December, the top, top sellers, will be going to Antigua right after (the Toronto awards Gala) ...with a guest," Wharton said.
Two New Award Categories Added
This year's awards will also introduce two new categories, bringing the total to five.
Alongside the existing awards for Most Individual Bookings Made, Most Room Nights Booked and Highest Total Value of Bookings, ABTA is adding Highest Group Booking Value and Top Performing Agency.
The new agency category is intended to recognize businesses where bookings made by multiple advisors are recorded under a single agency owner's name.
Canadian travel advisors are encouraged to submit all eligible Antigua and Barbuda bookings made between October 1, 2025, and November 6, 2026, the official qualifying period.
ABTA is also offering administrative assistance through its limited-edition ASAP (Admin Support for Agents Programme) concierge service. Advisors who need help recording their bookings can contact [email protected].
Travel advisors can register as destination specialists and log qualifying bookings at www.AntiguaBarbudaTA.com.
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