ST. JOHN’S, ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA – The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority (ABTA) has appointed tourism executive Charmaine Spencer as Chief Marketing Officer. This is a key leadership move as the destination builds on strong visitor growth and expands its global reach.
Effective June 1, Spencer assumes the CMO role after serving since 2018 as ABTA’s Director of Tourism for the Caribbean and Latin America. There, she helped deepen the destination’s regional footprint and commercial partnerships.
Over 15 years with the Authority, Spencer has held senior roles including Marketing Manager, Marketing Consultant and Director of Tourism for the Caribbean and Latin America. Her tenure has included leading market diversification efforts and strengthening airline and travel trade partnerships.
In her most recent post, Spencer led regional marketing campaigns that expanded Antigua and Barbuda’s brand presence and supported growth in targeted markets. She also helped secure new air and sea routes that improved regional connectivity. This reinforced the destination’s position as a Caribbean hub. Under her leadership, the Caribbean and Latin America remained Antigua and Barbuda’s third-largest source market. Moreover, her promotion comes as ABTA accelerates its focus on emerging markets, technology and data-driven marketing.
Charmaine Spencer – Chief Marketing Officer | (Photo courtesy, the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority)
Reflecting on her appointment, Spencer stated: “The tourism landscape has changed dramatically over the last decade. Destinations today compete not only for visitors, but for attention, relevance, and emotional connection. As Chief Marketing Officer, our focus will be on evolving Antigua and Barbuda from a destination brand into a dynamic global lifestyle brand that leverages storytelling, data, partnerships, sustainability, culture, and digital innovation to drive growth and deliver meaningful economic benefits for all.”
As CMO, Spencer will lead ABTA’s global marketing and commercial strategy. This will include brand development, integrated marketing, public relations, market intelligence, trade and partnership marketing, and events strategy.
Chief Executive Officer Colin C. James said the appointment positions the Authority to build on recent gains and advance its broader tourism objectives.
The Board, management and staff of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority congratulated Spencer on her appointment. This underscores the organization’s commitment to strengthening leadership and developing talent from within.
The leadership announcement comes as the Tourism Authority reports a 7 percent increase in stay-over arrivals for the first quarter of 2026, adding momentum to the destination’s next phase of growth.
