On Thursday, top leadership from the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union (ABWU) marked a notable appearance at the 2026 iteration of the Caribbean Travel Marketplace, one of the Caribbean’s most high-profile and industry-defining annual tourism gatherings. David Massiah, ABWU’s General Secretary, joined by Deputy General Senator Chester Hughes, toured the event’s proceedings and engaged with cross-sector stakeholders gathered for the landmark conference.
Hosted to catalyze collaboration, investment, and innovation across the Caribbean’s tourism ecosystem, the 2026 Marketplace drew over 500 attendees spanning international tourism buyers, global media outlets, industry operators, and regional stakeholders from every corner of the travel and hospitality sector. The event has long cemented its reputation as the premier business gathering for tourism leaders across the Caribbean, setting the agenda for growth and development in the sector for the coming years.
As the primary labor representative for the majority of hotel employees across Antigua and Barbuda, the ABWU used its attendance at the event to reaffirm its open stance toward initiatives that advance the quality of the nation’s tourism offerings. Critically, the union emphasized that any progress in the sector must go hand in hand with tangible improvements to working conditions and quality of life for the frontline workers that power the industry.
Union leadership also issued formal praise for organizers and participating stakeholders who pulled off the large-scale regional gathering. In their remarks, ABWU leadership reiterated the non-negotiable role tourism plays as a foundational pillar of Antigua and Barbuda’s national economy, noting that the sector remains the single largest source of steady employment for hundreds of local workers across the two-island nation. The event’s hosting, union leaders added, represents a positive step forward for positioning Antigua and Barbuda as a top global travel destination, while also creating space to address the needs of the workforce that underpins that success.