Strong turnout of Caribbean Tourism Ministers for Caribbean Week in New York | News

Confirmed for Caribbean Week in New York 2026: In the photo (top row, from left to right): Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Jamaica; Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Tourism, The Bahamas; Susan Rodrigues, Minister of Tourism, Guyana; Ian Gooding-Edghill, Minister of Tourism, Barbados; and dr. Kishore Shallow, Minister of Tourism, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Second row (from left to right): Rechelline Leerdam, Commissioner for Tourism, Sint Eustatius; Zhavargo Jolly, Minister of Tourism, Turks and Caicos Islands; Adrian Thomas, Minister of Tourism, Grenada; Stéphanie Smith, Minister of Tourism, Haiti; and Gary Rutty, Minister of Tourism, Cayman Islands.
Third row (from left to right): Dr. Natalio Wheatley, Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, British Virgin Islands; Cardigan Connor, Minister of Tourism, Anguilla; Jennifer Matarangas-King, Tourism Commissioner, U.S. Virgin Islands; Marsha Henderson, Minister of Tourism, St. Kitts and Nevis; and Owen Darrell, Minister of Tourism, Bermuda.
Bottom row (from left to right): Valérie Damaseau, Commissioner for Tourism, Saint-Martin; Charles Fernandez, Minister of Tourism, Antigua and Barbuda; Zorisha Hackett, Minister of Tourism, Tobago; and Luce Hodge-Smith, Assistant Minister of Tourism, British Virgin Islands.

Against a backdrop of rapid geopolitical change and shifting international markets, a historic post-pandemic turnout of tourism ministers and commissioners from across the Caribbean will converge on Manhattan on Monday, June 1, for the opening of Caribbean Week in New York 2026.

Facing a complex global landscape, the region’s top tourism thinkers are coming together to strengthen the Caribbean’s economic resilience, secure market share and present a strong, united front to international stakeholders.

Organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO)The week-long summit coincides with the start of Caribbean American Heritage Month and will take place at InterContinental New York Times Square under the theme ‘One Caribbean: Infinite Experiences’.

Tourism ministers and commissioners from Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint-Martin, Saint Eustatius, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) confirmed their participation in the meeting. Ministerial representations from Belize, Curaçao and Saint Lucia will also be present at the meeting. In addition, Governor Albert Bryan Jr. of the USVI to address the opening.

“In a world experiencing rapid geopolitical shifts, New York Caribbean Week is a critical arena for strategy development, risk mitigation and collective action,” said Dona Regis-Prosper, Secretary General and CEO of the CTO. “As leaders from across the region come together, Caribbean Week provides a powerful platform to showcase the innovation, resilience and limitless potential of Caribbean tourism.”

Following Monday morning’s official opening ceremony, featuring a keynote from CTO Chairman and Minister of Tourism and International Transport Ian Gooding-Edghill of Barbados, the delegation of tourism leaders will immediately take center stage for the highly anticipated session ‘Around the Caribbean in 60 Minutes.’

Tourism leaders will formally meet Tuesday morning for the closed-door cabinet meeting to discuss critical regional policies, address supply-side and airlift challenges and join sustainable development initiatives. Throughout the week, tourism ministers and directors will work directly with international travel industry stakeholders, travel advisors and tour operators, and global media to secure the region’s economic future.

The comprehensive 2026 program highlights key strategic themes to navigate the changing global environment, including airlift expansion, global tourism marketing, sustainability and technological innovation.

A celebration of the Caribbean Media Awards, the CTO Foundation Scholarship Awards Luncheon and the Caribbean Women in Tourism Leadership Dinner & Awards are also on the agenda. The awards dinner, hosted by Caribbean media personality Alex Jordan, will feature a keynote speech from Christine Valls, managing director for Caribbean and Latin America at United Airlines, and will include the launch of a new scholarship fund for women in tourism.

Christine Valls, Managing Director for the Caribbean and Latin America at United Airlines, will keynote the Caribbean Women in Tourism Leadership Dinner & Awards during Caribbean Week in New York 2026.

The launch of CTO TV, the introduction of CTO’s Supply Side Committee and the CTO Regional Nex-Gen Tourism Showcase are among the additional highlights of the week.

The week is supported by the following sponsors:

Platinum Elite: US Virgin Islands

Gold Elite: Antigua and Barbuda, British Virgin Islands

Gold: The Bahamas, St. Kitts

Silver: Global Ports Holding, Grenada, Sandals, SITA

Bronze: Barbados, Sojern, Travel & Adventure Show, Trove Tourism Development Advisors

Contributing sponsors: Bay Gardens Resorts, Carnival Corporation, Diamonds International, Expedia Group, Sunrise Airways, Travel Unity, TRÈFLE (British Virgin Islands), Virgin Voyages

Regional Nex-Gen Tourism Showcase Partners: Inter-American Development Bank, Royal Caribbean Group Foundation

For more information and registration go to: caribbeanweek.onecaribbean.org