Tucked away in the Eastern Caribbean lies the truly incomparable Caribbean island of Anguilla.
The British Overseas Territory, renowned for its powder-white beaches, exciting culinary scene and outstanding accommodation, is flourishing with new infrastructure, resort developments, increased flights and a boost in visitor arrivals. With Anguilla being allotted the country code top-level domain “.ai”, in the 1990s, and following the AI boom, companies around the world are clamouring to register websites that ends in .ai.
Anguilla has earned a significant amount in revenue from the web domain registration fees last year and has benefited with an increase percentage contributing to the Government of Anguilla’s total revenue. The .ai domain has emerged as a transformative asset for Anguilla, with projected revenues that is contributing surpluses for the establishment of various policy initiatives, social development programs and to establish the Anguilla National Wealth Fund.
From January – June 2024, Anguilla had already received 116,143 visitors, surpassing its 2019 total of 95,000, and UK arrival figures for 2024 are expected to be 30 per cent up on 2023. With an abundance of exciting developments in the pipeline for 2025 and beyond, it’s easy to see why Anguilla is having its moment.
Anguilla’s Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (AXA) is undergoing a major expansion, with a new passenger terminal scheduled for completion by autumn 2025. The runway extension, set to begin in January 2025 and completed in 2026, will further bolster the island’s capacity to welcome larger aircrafts and more visitors.
On the neighbouring island of St Maarten/St Martin, a major hub for accessing Anguilla, the reconstruction of Princess Juliana Airport (SXM) was completed in October 2024. With Anguilla’s growing popularity, the island is set to benefit from increased airlift options during the upcoming winter season. Key service providers such as Tradewind Aviation, Trans Anguilla Airways, SkyHigh Aviation and CapeAir are expanding their routes across the Caribbean to cater to the surge in visitors.
Anguilla Air Services’ scheduled service between Anguilla and Antigua, which started operation in November 2023, will run a scheduled service until at least May 2025, with connections available to meet UK flights to/from Antigua. American Airlines is adding a third nonstop flight on Saturdays from Miami to Anguilla, in addition to the double daily flights currently in operation; the third flight on Saturdays begins in December 2024 and continues through March 2025.
Finally, a new winter 2024/25 Condor Airline Service from Frankfurt, Germany to Antigua will also facilitate connections from Central Europe to Anguilla, via Antigua. Anguilla’s tourism landscape is set for further transformation, with the launch of three new resorts and a luxury marina development in 2025 and 2026.
The first to open will be from private resort collection, Ani Private Resorts, which will open its second development in Anguilla in 2025. The 15-suite luxury property will be located on Shoal Bay East and will feature a tennis court, gym, spa and much more.
The Altamer Marina, Yacht Club, and Luxury Resort will feature a 118-berth marina, capable of accommodating yachts up to 250 feet in length. The development will also include a 62-room, five-star hotel, 58 branded residences, beachfront villas, 48 resort condominiums, a fitness centre, a spa, and duty-free shopping.
Phase one of the project, which comprises the marina infrastructure, is scheduled to be completed in Q4 2025, and the hotel component is slated to open in late 2026. On the island’s eastern seacoast, the Savannah Bay Marina and Resort will be developed on 215 acres of land.
This luxury project will feature a hotel, residences, villas, townhouses, condominiums, a marina, a yacht club, port facilities, and a shopping arcade and entertainment. Opening date TBC.
Many of Anguilla’s existing resorts, hotels and villas are introducing new concepts and refreshing their offering for the coming winter sun season. In November 2024, Anguilla’s beloved & iconic Grande Dame resort, Malliouhana, celebrated its 40th birthday.
The soirée marked the beginning of a year-long series of events and experiences that will continue throughout 2025. The famed wine cellar has recently been lovingly restored by Albert Lake, Malliouhana's original sommelier, and guests are offered the opportunity to tour the 4,000+ bottles of wine from regions around the globe.
Malliouhana has also launched the AMA Recording Experience, at the island’s one and only world-class recording studio. Proceeds from the AMA experience benefit the Anguilla Music Academy and help provide local students with music and digital production classes. Renowned Anguillian Chef, Kerth Gumbs, known in the UK as a celebrity chef and TV presenter, has recently joined Malliouhana as Culinary Director.
Kerth will lead a “Culinary Dream Team” at Malliouhana, bringing a modern flair to the new Chef’s Garden and the resort’s three signature restaurants. November also saw Malliouhana welcome NASA-affiliated partners SETI Institute and Unistellar to launch a one-of-a-kind astronomical event, offering stargazing like nowhere else on Earth.
The celestial adventure continues throughout 2025 with weekly and private stargazing experiences available for guests. The resort has also launched an Eco Tour, which leads guests through Malliouhana’s 25 acres of lush tropical gardens, filled with lovingly tended native flowers and plants.
Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club, and St. Barts five-star ‘Hotel Manapany’, have unveiled an exclusive partnership by offering a travel experience that combines the best of two Caribbean paradises. In a first-of-its-kind partnership, Aurora and Manapany’s ‘Anguilla to St. Barts Luxury Getaway Package’ includes seven-nights’ accommodation (four nights at Aurora and three nights at Manapany), transfers, gourmet dining & resort credit, and much more.
The package starts at US$4,400 & taxes & fee, for two guests for seven nights. Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club has also announced an exclusive partnership with the resort’s Sorana Spa and Vie De Mer, a French beauty brand specialising in natural botanical based products.
Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel, Anguilla, has unveiled an exciting array of family-friendly adventures and luxurious wellbeing experiences in partnership with Guerlain. Children and adults alike will enjoy a new kite-making class, celebrating Anguilla’s cherished tradition of kite-making and flying, or the Driftwood Art Creation & Terrarium Building Workshop, where guests can collaborate with the resort’s horticulturalist to craft their own miniature gardens.
Unveiled in Spring 2024, the Cap Juluca Spa by Guerlain’s unique offerings include the “Ocean Vibes” experience, which uses an ocean tambour and ice bubbles to evoke the calming ebb and flow of the sea. Available seasonally, Cap Juluca has also launched new activities to further connect with Anguilla’s natural resources, including salt picking – a practice that not only harks back to the island’s history, when salt picking was once a vital part of life in Anguilla, but also celebrates nature and the soulful connection between land, sea and the people.
At CeBlue Luxury Villas, the upgrade programme is now complete for all one, two, three and five bed villas, and a new pizza bar and restaurant is fully open for guests to enjoy. The move towards sustainable power is underway, with the first phase of a solar initiative now completed and active.
New for this winter sun season, Little Harbour Estates has introduced full-size pickleball courts at all three of the exquisite villas in the collection. At The Beach House, Le Bleu and Indigo, pickleball courts and equipment are available for guests to use, and coaching can also be arranged.
Additional experiences proving popular with guests hosted on-property include painting classes, intimate musical performances by local artists, guided yoga practice and beachfront massages. Zemi Beach House, nestled on beautiful Shoal Bay East, said by tourism experts to be one of the best beaches in the world, has refreshed the furnishings and updated the menus at its beachfront 20 Knots restaurant, as well as adding new dining options at fine-dining restaurant, Stone.
Dames Anguilla, a new restaurant, lounge, event space and performance venue, has opened on Tanglewood Road. Paying homage to the indomitable spirit of Dame Bernice Lake, a symbol of old-time Anguilla living and resilience, Dames stands as a beacon of tradition and elegance.
And on shimmering Rendezvous Bay a new beach club has opened for beachfront dining. Rendezvous @ Tasty's Beach Club is helmed by talented Chef Dale Carty, famous for Tasty's POV restaurant, now offering his culinary skills at this new relaxed and picturesque spot.
There are a wide variety of sustainable initiatives currently underway in Anguilla. Programmes range from collaborations with the Anguilla National Trust to protect the island’s biodiversity, to the development of the Blue Economy to sustainably manage the island’s marine and coastal ecosystems. The Environmental Stewardship Programme, which was launched in 2024 is a public/private sector partnership to encourage tourism-based businesses to integrate climate and environmental consciousness into their everyday operations.
The Anguilla Tourist Board will soon be introducing a new "Volun-Tourism" experience this winter. The initiative aims to integrate volunteering opportunities into the tourism experience, providing visitors with a chance to give back to communities while on island.
Anguilla offers a wealth of festivals, events and celebrations virtually all year long. The first Anguilla Music Tourism Convention, in partnership with Music Cities Events, will be held in November 2025.
This is a first of its kind event for Anguilla, and indeed the region. It is an unparalleled opportunity for artists to experience, learn about and network with those responsible for the best global music tourism practices, while showcasing the island to attendees. The fourth annual Anguilla Culinary Experience will be held from 30 April – 3 May 2025.
Once again, Anguilla will welcome celebrated international guest chefs to create amazing dining experiences alongside local Anguillian chefs. The legendary Moonsplash Music Festival, the longest-running independent music festival in the Caribbean, will return in March 2025, with captivating musical performances under the full moon.
For more than 25-years, famed Anguillian musician Bankie Banx has hosted this amazing reggae music event at Dune Preserve on Rendezvous Bay. Anguilla’s traditional Festival del Mar, a celebration of all things from the sea, will take place over the Easter weekend, in April 2025.
This two-day celebration is centred in the picturesque fishing village of Island Harbour and locals and visitors alike can take part in and enjoy deep sea fishing competitions, swimming races, crab races, traditional culinary competitions, live music and boat racing. The island will be a kaleidoscope of colour during the Anguilla Summer Festival, held annually in late July and early August.
From the J’Ouvert parade set to a soundtrack of soca music, to the spectacular Parade of Troupes, calypso competitions, boat races, beach barbecues, the Miss Anguilla pageant and so much more, Anguilla will sizzle this summer.
