With thoughts on the forthcoming cruise season, cruise tourism officials from Antigua and Barbuda met this week with senior representatives of various European based cruise lines, to discuss upcoming itineraries and plans.

The meetings took place during the Seatrade Europe show held in Hamburg Germany. Seatrade Europe is the biennial meeting place and trade platform of the European cruise industry attracting over 3,000 participants from 270 organisations bringing together senior buyers and planners from the cruise lines with suppliers from all sectors.

Discerning travelers looking for the ultimate escape now have two luxury resorts, Lighthouse Bay Resort in Barbuda (www.LightHouseBayResort.com) and Curtain Bluff in Antigua (www.CurtainBluff.com), combining for the quintessential vacation package offering the best of both islands.

Complete with the luxury accommodations, island-to-island helicopter transfers, exquisite cuisine, and the finest, personalized service in the Caribbean, guests will enjoy an eight-day/seven-night premium vacation whether it is their much-anticipated honeymoon or a long overdue tranquil escape.

Antigua and Barbuda’s UK Tourist office has teamed up with Musto, the world’s number one sailing clothing brand, to highlight Antigua and Barbuda’s world class sailing product, and attract sailing enthusiasts to the destination.

In a national campaign, that will run for 6 months consumers will have the chance to win a sailing holiday to Antigua, with accommodation provided by the tourist office’s hotel partner Nonsuch Bay Resort.

The Antigua holiday competition will be promoted in 17 Musto standalone stores nationwide, until 28 February 2012.

Discerning travelers looking for the ultimate escape now have two luxury resorts, Lighthouse Bay Resort in Barbuda (www.LightHouseBayResort.com) and Curtain Bluff in Antigua (www.CurtainBluff.com), combining for the quintessential vacation package offering the best of both islands.

Complete with the luxury accommodations, island-to-island helicopter transfers, exquisite cuisine, and the finest, personalized service in the Caribbean, guests will enjoy an eight-day/seven-night premium vacation whether it is their much-anticipated honeymoon or a long overdue tranquil escape.

The Honourable John Maginley and a team from the Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority attended the popular Go NBC Travel Expo held at the Aventura Mall in Miami over the weekend. The Expo was expected to attract more than 40,000 people. NBC TV6 presenters were present at the mall conducting live interviews on Saturday morning and Minister Maginley provided a comprehensive interview highlighting the destination.

The recent rural tourism training ended with participants presenting their entrepreneurial concepts and two of the four presentations attracting funding interest from the Antigua and Barbuda Development Bank. The desired outcomes of the workshop was to mobilize the country’s young people while expanding the current crop of tourism offerings; and it was a hit with 30 beginning the week long training and 32 completing it, by virtue of the fact that persons not previously selected to participate showed up on day one hopeful of earning a spot.