SANDALS and Beaches resorts copped 16 awards at the 2025 World Travel Awards Caribbean and The Americas, underscoring their continued leadership across the hospitality landscape.

The gala ceremony held at Sandals Grande St Lucian honoured the visionaries and trailblazers shaping the travel and tourism industry. The event united government leaders and hospitality professionals for a night of celebration, recognition and inspiration.

Among celebratory toasts, Sandals Resorts International was named the Caribbean’s Leading Hotel Brand for the 32nd year in a row. Beaches Turks and Caicos also celebrated its 18th win as the Caribbean’s Leading All-Inclusive Family Resort, a recognition that comes ahead of the début of its Treasure Beach Village, the resort’s $150-million expansion set to open spring 2026.

Other key wins include Sandals Dunn’s River, recognised as the Caribbean’s Leading Luxury All-Inclusive Resort for the third year in a row after opening its doors in 2023 and Sandals South Coast, awarded the Caribbean’s Most Romantic Resort.

“At the heart of every Sandals and Beaches vacation is pure, inviting Caribbean soul, paired with world-class hospitality experiences for all our guests. The recognitions bestowed to our brands tonight are truly meaningful. They serve as a testament to the incredible passion and dedication of our talented team members,” said Adam Stewart, executive chairman of Sandals Resorts.

“It is yet another reminder of why we will never stop evolving, listening to our customers and refining our experiences year after year,” added Stewart, who is also executive chairman of the Jamaica Observer.

Jamaica also shone brightly at the awards being named the Caribbean’s Leading Destination for the 19th-consecutive year with the Jamaica Tourist Board winning the Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board award for the 17th year in a row.

The country was also named the Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Destination 2025, with the Port of Ocho Rios being named the Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Port 2025 and the Port of Montego Bay being named the Caribbean’s Leading Home Port 2025.

Jamaica was also named the Caribbean’s Leading Family Travel Destination 2025.

In lauding the remarkable achievement of destination Jamaica and its tourism stakeholders, Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett said: “I am very pleased to see the hard work and dedication of the tourism team being recognised and rewarded internationally. It is truly heartening to see Jamaica consistently perform at a very high level despite the challenges faced by the destination in recent times. This performance is testament to the resilience and commitment of Destination Jamaica and our remarkable tourism stakeholders.”

Bartlett added: “As we enter a new chapter in the development of tourism in Jamaica, as minister I feel blessed to share in these achievements and encourage all our tourism players to build on this track record of outstanding performance as we continue to enhance our tourism product. Congratulations to the entire tourism team.”

Other Jamaican winners included Island Routes, which walked away with the Caribbean’s Leading Adventure Tour Operator 2025 award and Chukka Caribbean Adventures, which won the Caribbean’s Leading Destination Experiences 2025 award.

Meanwhile, Chukka Ocean Outpost was named the Caribbean’s Leading Adventure Tourist Attraction 2025. Rose Hall Great House Tour was named the Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Attraction 2025, Island Car Rentals received the Caribbean’s Leading Independent Car Rental Company 2025, and Jamaica’s Leading Car Rental Company 2025 awards.

Trudy Dixon, Caribbean sales manager, Jamaica Tourist Board, is all smiles as she accepts Jamaica’s Destination Awards from Graham Cooke, founder of the World Travel Awards, at the 2025 World Travel Awards Caribbean & North America Gala Ceremony in St Lucia, on Saturday.