CARIBBEAN TRAVEL FORUM 2026 IDENTIFIES KEY PRIORITIES THAT SHAPING THE FUTURE OF REGIONAL TOURISM | News
Last week, the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) hosted the Caribbean Travel Forum (CTF) at Sandals Grand Antigua, bringing together public and private sector stakeholders from across the region to discuss the commercial future of Caribbean tourism.
Through discussions with hoteliers, tourism officials, airlines, travel advisors, destination representatives and distribution partners, participants identified five cross-cutting themes that impact the region’s tourism competitiveness and long-term growth:
The shift from prioritizing visitor volume to long-term value and profitability
The growing importance of connectivity and airlift
Challenges caused by regional fragmentation
Increasing pressure from distribution costs and external intermediaries
The need for stronger tourism data to support better-informed commercial and policy decisions
“The conversations at this year’s Forum demonstrated that the Caribbean hospitality and tourism industry is increasingly focused not only on growing tourism, but also on growing tourism smarter and more sustainably, with greater long-term value for the region,” said Sanovnik Destang, Chairman of CHTA.
Priority areas identified for regional cooperation
Building on these discussions, participants coalesced around three strategic areas where greater regional alignment could have the greatest impact.
Value-based tourism metrics – Participants called for a fundamental change in the way Caribbean tourism performance is measured, looking beyond the arrival count to broader measures of visitor value, including spend per night, on-island revenue, environmental and social impact, and visitor experience metrics. Discussions also focused on the value of more standardized regional statistics based on accommodation, payment and mobility data.
Regional Commercial Intelligence – Participants highlighted the need for more consistent regional tourism data and stronger information sharing to help stakeholders, from national tourism organizations to independent hoteliers, better understand visitor value, seasonality, segment performance and cruise-to-stay conversions.
Unified Regional Positioning and Connectivity – Participants identified airlift strategy, destination marketing and demand coordination as key areas requiring stronger regional alignment, while underscoring the importance of improving inter-island connectivity and supporting smaller operators in navigating complex global distribution systems.
In addition to discussions, the insights and recommendations gathered during the Forum will provide CHTA with a framework to help guide future activities and areas of focus, including practical industry strategies, stronger regional coordination, and deeper public-private sector collaboration.
CHTA gratefully acknowledges the support of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, Interval International and Mastercard in helping make this year’s Caribbean Travel Forum possible.
For more information about the Caribbean Travel Forum, visit www.CaribbeanTravelForum.com or for more information about CHTA, visit www.CaribbeanHotelandTourism.com.
