Barbuda, the smaller and lesser-known sister island to Antigua, took the spotlight this week as the first-ever tourism promotion campaign featuring the island officially launched.  

In an effort to draw mainstream attention to an island virtually untouched by tourism, the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority (ABTA) partnered with the Barbuda Council and U.K. creative agency, Motel, and debuted the campaign via a Zoom broadcast to travel media.

With a much smaller population than Antigua (roughly 1,500 people), a boat, helicopter or eight-seat plane are the only ways to get to Barbuda.

With the limit on the number of visitors that can be accommodated at any one time, the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority’s launch campaign with the Barbuda Council and Motel aims to position Barbuda as an off-the-beaten-track island escape. But, unlike your average tourism marketing, this campaign doesn’t plead with customers to visit. 

The country’s Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez endorsed the creative approach that the new campaign has adopted to bring the international spotlight on Barbuda.

“This campaign cleverly helps manage expectations because if interested travelers can’t book a flight or room,” he said. “They will understand exactly why.

“More than that, we hope that this idyllic campaign truly captures the uniqueness and warmth of the local Barbudan community and is in keeping with our strategy to show the world the unsurpassed beauty of the sister island.” 

In the campaign’s two aerial films, shot by a drone, you can see the silhouette of the tiny passenger plane flying above the water across the eleven miles of Luis Beach.

This is accompanied by the gentle background sound of lapping waves, and the national bird the majestic Frigate, interrupted only by the gentle hum of the light aircraft overhead.

Barbuda is home to the largest Frigate Bird Colony in the western hemisphere, with more than 100,000 birds living there. You can only visit this sanctuary by boat with a tour guide, which only adds to the island’s exclusivity and charm.

The last five years have been a period of rebuilding following the devastation on the island as a result of Hurricane Irma.

Alongside previously popular hotspots such as Uncle Roddy’s, the development of the Barbuda Ocean Club is nearing completion. There is a Nobu restaurant on Princess Diana Beach and the island has its first eco-hotel, which can only be reached by the Barbuda Belle. 

For more, visit Antigua and Barbuda.