ANTIGUA & BARBUDA TOURISM AUTHORITY

Tourism Consultant, Ms. Shirlene Nibbs, makes a presentation to Peggy Presley of Los Angeles Unified School District.

Children in Antigua and Barbuda will have over 1000 new children’s books to dive into and enjoy this summer, thanks to The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, and tourism partner, Blue World Travel hosts of the Annual ‘Festival at Sea’ Children’s Book Drive.

For the past 22 years, the California based travel company has chartered a cruise ship for African American travelers, inviting passengers to contribute books to the Caribbean countries along their itinerary, to show their commitment to literacy, and appreciation towards the host countries. 

Over the years as part of their week-long ‘Festival at Sea’ event, the group has donated books in St. Thomas, St. Croix, Barbados, Jamaica, St. Maarten,Belize, Nassau and many other locations including South Africa. This year, Antigua was selected as the recipient of the children’s book drive.  

The group arrived in Antigua today in time for Children’s Carnival, on Carnival Cruise Lines ‘Liberty’ with approximately 3000 guests.  They were greeted in Heritage Quay, by senior tourism and education officials, at a festive presentation ceremony, that included cultural carnival icons.

“The Children’s Book Drive is a great initiative, which gives our African-American cruise guests a meaningful opportunity to enrich the lives of the communities that they visit”,


Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Michael Browne, thanks Blue World Travel for their timely donation of books to the children of Antigua and Barbuda. 

We are extremely pleased to support Blue World Travel as they seek to encourage the art of reading, which will have a lasting effect on our children”.

The books were presented to the Ministry of Education, The Antigua and Barbuda National Library, and the Tourism Offices.

Los Angeles Unified School District Administrator, Peggy Presley who journeyed to Antigua with the group made the presentation, alongside, Patricia Nicholson Yarbrough, President Blue World Travel.   Books were accepted by: The Chief Education Officer, in the Ministry of Education, Clare Browne, Acting Director of the National Library, Sandra Christian, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Paula Frederick-Hunte, Tourism Consultant, Shirlene Nibbs, and Tourism Authority CEO, Colin James.  

In joining in on the celebrations of Children’s Carnival, the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority made some of the books available to children and parents attending the Children’s Carnival parade.  Attendees at the parade were invited to stop by the tourism pop-up booth in Carnival City, to pick-up the complimentary story-book.

Additional books will be distributed by the Ministry of Tourism and the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority to various charities and organisations around the island.