ANTIGUA & BARBUDA TOURISM AUTHORITY

Photo of Dean Fenton, Doug Singer and Derede Samuel-Whitlock

Antigua and Barbuda’s Sailing Week Regatta is being featured in AQUACabana, the world’s first waterproof and “tree free” luxury magazine. Described as 100% environmentally friendly, the pages of this publication are made entirely from inorganic mineral powders derived from limestone. Because of the breakthrough anti-fading durability and moisture resistance of the pages, coupled with the magazine’s targeted exclusive distribution, each printed copy is likely to be read by at least three people. All of these properties help to greatly enhance AQUACabana’s circulation of more than 150,000 readers.

The 4-page article in the fall/winter issue of AQUACabana was written by journalist, Douglas Singer, following a press trip organized by the Tourism Team in the United States, in early May. True to the unique composition of the pages of this upscale magazine, Singer provides a passionate account of his rare discoveries. He describes how he fell in love with the destination and its people, during his week long stay at the Sugar Ridge Hotel. He also provides details about the various restaurants, land and sea excursions and other attractions that he visited during his expedition.

Singer presented a signed copy of the fall/winter magazine to the US Tourism office and explained, “Our publication reaches an exclusive readership that is within the top 5% income bracket in the United States and this is a good fit, not just for Antigua Sailing Week, but for some of the luxury accommodations and other elements that make the Antigua and Barbuda product so unique. The cover and the front section of each magazine are designed exclusively to promote everything from fine dining, world-class events, wedding packages and corporate conferencing facilities.”

US Director, Derede Samuel-Whitlock, believes that this is a well written editorial and describes the article as being very upbeat, alluring and engaging.  “Sailing Week has become one of the signature events that help define our tourism product, particularly among luxury travelers who often have very high expectations. Through this visionary format, AQUACabana is helping to set standards for the future which dictate that our tourism product must also become more environmentally friendly.”

Traditionally, the publication was exclusively positioned at the finest resorts and hotels, throughout the United States with each hotel having with its own customized edition of AQUACabana for distribution to guests at the pool, spa and other common areas. However, a U.S. edition has recently been developed for national distribution and is now available in several bookstores, including Barnes and Noble.

Although this quarterly magazine has been around for more than five years, the new “tree free” format of AQUACabana continues to generate significant interest among environmentally conscious luxury travelers. This eco friendly publishing technique does not use trees, water or toxic agents including bleaching chemicals and coupled with the water resistant properties, the publication is revered as novel and cutting edge.