Jamaica wins Caribbean’s Leading Destination title at World Travel Awards

Jamaica: Jamaica has been named the big winner at the World Travel Awards Caribbean and The Americas Gala, taking the region’s top destination title and dozens of other honours at a ceremony held on Sunday at the Princess Grand Jamaica in Hanover.

The nation was awarded Caribbean’s Leading Destination, while the Jamaica Tourist Board was named Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board.

In addition, Jamaica scooped the regional honours for Cruise Destination, Cultural Destination, Family Travel Destination, Festival and Event Destination and Meetings and Conference Destination.

Jamaica was also awarded with 39 accolades at the 33rd edition of the awards. Sandals Resorts International was the most successful organization as it recorded 17 regional awards, including the company’s 33rd consecutive win as the Caribbean’s Leading Hotel Brand.

The Princess Grand Jamaica was twice the winner of the Caribbean's Leading Resort and Leading Conference Hotel awards. Its sister property, Princess Senses The Mangrove, was the recipient of Leading Adult-Only All-Inclusive Resort, Leading Water Villa Resort and Leading Wedding Resort honours.

Half Moon was voted the Leading Hotel while Sangster International Airport claimed the Leading Airport award.

Saint Lucia's honours include Leading Honeymoon Destination and Leading Adventure Tourism Destination. In the property stakes, Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort, was named the Leading Luxury Resort while Jade Mountain won the Leading Luxury Honeymoon Resort, and Secrets St. Lucia Resort & Spa was recognised as the Leading New Resort.

Dominica won the Leading Nature Destination accolade while St. Vincent and the Grenadines was voted the Leading Green Destination.

Antigua and Barbuda was voted the Leading Wedding Destination, with Sandals Grande Antigua winning Most Romantic Resort and Curtain Bluff Resort, the Leading Green Resort.

In St. Kitts and Nevis, Belle Mont Sanctuary Resort was named the Leading Hotel of the country while the Four Seasons Resort Nevis, the Leading Resort. The group's five-bedroom Mahogany Hill Estate, a luxury hotel villa, was the Leading Luxury Hotel Villa.

Anguilla was awarded Leading Culinary Destination and Leading Luxury Island Destination awards while Turks and Caicos Islands won Leading Beach Destination and Most Romantic Destination.

The Bahamas was voted the Leading Sports Tourism Destination, with Nassau named the Leading Business Travel Destination and Bonaire was named the Leading Dive Destination.

Meanwhile, Cayman Airways won Leading Airline while Caribbean Airlines was voted Leading Airline Brand. Hotel 1829 of the US Virgin Islands, was voted the Leading New Hotel.

The Caribbean gala dinner is the fourth leg in the World Travel Awards Grand Tour 2026 after Zanzibar, Dubai and the Maldives.

The event moves on to Montenegro before the Grand Final in Tanzania, a report said, due to take place on 12 December. Winners were elected by votes from travel agents, tour operators and the public.