Minister Bartlett defends the logistics hub for Caribbean tourism | News
The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) yesterday convened a landmark meeting of its newly established Tourism Supply-Side Committee in Sandals Antigua, marking a decisive shift in the region’s approach to retaining a greater share of the economic benefits generated by its most vital industry.
Leading the charge was the Chairman of the Tourism Supply-Side Committee and Jamaican Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlettwhich made a strong call for concrete, coordinated regional action. This would include the development of a Caribbean tourism logistics hub that would build capacity to own the supply side of the industry.
Despite tourism contributing between 15% and 60% of GDP in Caribbean countries, the region currently retains less than 20 cents of every tourism dollar earned – a result of its heavy reliance on imported goods and external supply chains to meet visitor demand. Minister Bartlett described this structural imbalance as both a challenge and an opportunity.
“Owning and strengthening the tourism supply side is fundamental to dismantling the long-held perception that tourism is merely an enclave or an extractive industry. The Caribbean must position itself not just as a destination for visitors, but as a region that fully captures and retains the wealth generated by tourism within our own economies and communities.” said Secretary Bartlett.
A Caribbean tourism logistics hub will contribute to revenue retention, supply chain control, intra-regional trade and, most importantly, employment and community prosperity. Each step up the regionally owned supply chain creates jobs in logistics, agriculture, light manufacturing and services.
This follows commitments the CTO received from two major multilateral institutions following high-level agreements in Washington DC last month. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has agreed to provide funding for a specialist consultant to conduct a comprehensive regional study on the supply side of tourism, with a specific focus on identifying strategies for Caribbean economies to retain a greater share of tourism revenues.
A draft Terms of Reference is expected soon. The contract is expected to be in effect by the end of June 2026 and the consultancy is expected to last 10 to 12 weeks. The IDB has also agreed to hold further discussions with the CTO during Caribbean Week in New York in June.
The World Bank also confirmed its support and willingness to contribute to upcoming analytical work on the resilience of the Caribbean tourism sector, including sectoral alignment and gap analysis.
