Anguilla Tourism Survey:
Carimar Beach Club Mentioned Most Frequently in Anguilla Tourism Survey - Excellent Staff, Location and Quality of the Accommodations
Sept 2025 - Jan 2026 Fall to Winter Report
Fall and Winter visitor ratings were shared by 129 visitors from September 2025 to January 2026. This report includes the off-season for continuity, since the last report ended August 31. Thus, with departure signage and social media invitations, this survey continued on behalf of the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association as a community service.
Outstanding Overall Ratings: People, Beaches, Dining – and Very Few Concerns
Hopefully reflecting a trend, perhaps from GST relief in restaurants, a new high of 81% of these respondents were Very Satisfied, while just 6% had unmet expectations. These scores compare to 66% and 18% in the Summer, and to 66-69% and 13-15% dissatisfied in the prior two reports. (“Satisfied” ratings reflect (merely) “meeting” expectations; when not stated, these scores comprise the difference to 100% for each set of ratings.)
Very Satisfied reasons included our people, beaches, dining, and the relaxing ambiance of Anguilla and places they stayed. (Merely) Satisfied guests acknowledged similar positives, yet they were offset by concerns about changes since prior visits and a handful of experiences. While 3 of the dissatisfied visitors mentioned high costs/taxes, another few cited specific issues.
Accommodations Steady, to Higher
Hotel and villa scores returned to 77% Very Satisfied and 6% dissatisfied after slipping to 74% and 10% in the Summer. These compared to a range of 69-77% the previous three quarters and just 4-6% dissatisfaction since the off season in 2024.
Carimar, Zemi Beach House, Aurora, and Four Seasons were mentioned most frequently, followed by Manoah, Cap Juluca and the Great House, with 1-3 mentions of many others. Excellent staff, locations and the features and quality of the accommodation were again mentioned by Very Satisfied guests, while (merely) Satisfied had some mixed remarks about the properties and service. Whereas specific concerns were noted by several (merely) Satisfied and dissatisfied visitors.
2 of 3 Recognised Remarkable Restaurants – Again!
From September to January, 64% of respondents named one or more restaurants for great service and cuisine. This compared to 63% in the Summer and 62-78% in the previous three quarters and to a prior range of 75-80%. Blanchard’s led the mentions, followed by Sharky’s, Tasty’s and Veya, with Karaya debuting in 5th place. Straw Hat led a second tier that included Artisan, Jacala, Savi and Sunshine Shack, with many others complimented at least once.
Appreciated and Anticipated Activities
As in the Summer, beach and water activities led enjoyed experiences, followed by dining, and boat excursions, with a range of fewer specifics. Plans for future visits again focused on boating and related outings, snorkeling and other water activities, and volunteering. While 1 visitor expressed jet ski interest, 16 looked forward to existing water activities, another 9 said no need to add anything, especially mass-market activities – with 9 more stating opposition to casinos.
General Services: Air, Sea and Ground Transit – Communications and Roads
For travel to Anguilla, Princess Juliana Airport yielded 63% Very Satisfied and a new low of 4% dissatisfaction; this compared to 48% and 14% in the Summer, which had slipped from 60% and 9%, after hovering between 30-48% and 11-25% since 2024. For air transport to Anguilla, 65% were Very Satisfied, with zero dissatisfied, from a previous range of 56-65% and 0-11%. Anguilla airport ratings lifted to 52% Very Satisfied, with just 11% dissatisfied vs. 31-41% and 18-38% since Spring 2024.
Ferry services rose to 61%, with the same 11% dissatisfied since the Summer, inching above the range of 42-59% and 11-17% dissatisfied since Spring 2024. Hopefully a trend, ferry terminal feedback improved to 77% Very Satisfied up from 43% and a drop to 6% dissatisfied, from a range of 53-63% and 15-20% dissatisfaction since 2024, except for 2% last Winter.
Since September, 74% were Very Satisfied with just 2% dissatisfied with car rentals, compared to 52-69% and 4-10% since Summer 2024. Taxi services were stable at 60% and 4% vs. 66% and 8% last Summer, with a range of 50-68% and 5-22% dissatisfaction since the survey start in 2022.
While Phone/Internet services faded to 47% Very Satisfied from 53%, just 6% were dissatisfied from 15%, compared to ranges of 34-48% and 9-13% since Spring 2024. Road and traffic management skidded back to 16% from 29% Very Satisfied, compared to 16-21% previously; whereas dissatisfaction was 26%, compared to 24-31% since Summer 2024.
Since September 2025, positive comments led this survey section, with participants complimenting car, taxi and ferry services, appreciating solar arrays and free animal spay/neuter programs, the absence of casinos and cruise ships, and the island experience, in general. These were followed by road concerns and suggestions with a few new airport/zip bag and Internet service remarks.
Priorities: Authenticity – Roads, Access, Costs and Suggestions
Ensuring authenticity (keep as is) led the topics yet again this quarter; then about half as many each recommended road improvements and made access suggestions as priorities since September. Several recommended cost and tax considerations, from avoiding a final negative impression from departure tax to lowering others and addressing high taxi fares. As before, with one or two specifics each, several others provided suggestions, from bike paths to more locally made product markets, an app for taxis, more clarity on US vs. EC currency, and better reef conservation.
“Word of Mouth” Brings Travelers and the Flights they Flew…
This Fall and Winter, 35% said that friends/family or colleagues told them about Anguilla, down from 53%. Whereas 19% cited social media, also a form of Word of Mouth, which previously ranged from 6 to 23%. Nearly unchanged, 12% vs. 14% said day trips, up from 10% last Spring and a low of 3% in Winter 2024. Just 1% noted print media after none in the Summer, compared to 6-9% in the past.
Travel agent referrals were steady at 8%, topping their 5-7% range after a dip to 3% last Winter and Spring 2025. Adjusted for word of mouth, 24% noted “other” sources, edging above ~20% in previous measures (e.g., online/AI searches, regional travel, magazines, etc.).
Among the named carriers, 42% flew on American Airlines, 12% flew on Delta and on JetBlue, with 11% mentioning AnguillAir/BermudAir – 5% on Cape Air, and 4% on United. These were followed by 1-3 mentions of Air Canada, Air France, AAS and others since the Summer.
Willingness to Return and Recommend Anguilla – and Future Prosperity
Visitor willingness to recommend and return to Anguilla is essential for our prosperity, whereby Word of Mouth continued to have the most impact. If Very Satisfied, ~95% said they would “definitely” return and recommend Anguilla. When (merely) Satisfied, just 27% said they would “definitely” do so. And among dissatisfied, 3 out of 4 would “maybe to definitely not” return or recommend Anguilla to others.
When combined, ~82% of these participants would “definitely” return and recommend Anguilla, up from 65-70% in the Summer. Still, 1 of 5 is less likely to return. So, to grow by 10%, we would need to attract or retain at least ~30% more visitors to compensate for up to 20% not returning.
With ~45% coming for the first time – and ~33% returning for no more than five, first impressions will determine our future growth. Fall short, and we risk a “hole in the bucket” that would demand more marketing costs than consistently delivering excellence. That is, so they return − and recommend Anguilla to more friends, family and colleagues – to secure our competitive leadership, where our guests drive our growth with enthusiastic reviews about a favorite destination they can’t wait to visit again.
The Anguilla Tourism Survey is a community service conducted on behalf of the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association (AHTA). All ratings and comments are shared anonymously with the AHTA stakeholders in a comprehensive report. For more information, please contact Melinda Goddard, MBA, principal of ClienTell Consulting, LLC via messenger on the Anguilla Tourism Survey Facebook page.