Caribbean Week ends in New York | News
Caribbean Week New York 2026 concluded after four days of high-level dialogue, strategic partnerships and thought leadership, strengthening the unified vision of the Caribbean under the theme ‘One Caribbean: Infinite Experiences’.
The event, hosted by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) at InterContinental New York Times Square, brought together tourism ministers, commissioners, industry leaders, media, travel advisors and students from across the region and beyond.
The week included ministerial discussions, a busy Caribbean media and travel marketplace, a marketing conference, a regional Nex-Gen Tourism Showcase, Caribbean Media Awards, CTO Foundation Scholarship Awards and the Caribbean Women in Tourism Leadership Dinner & Awards.
A key milestone was the launch of the CTO Tourism Supply Side Committee, an initiative aimed at strengthening regional ties, increasing economic retention and building a more integrated and resilient Caribbean tourism economy.
As Caribbean-American Heritage Month began, Caribbean Week once again demonstrated the region’s collective commitment to collaboration, innovation and sustainable growth, providing a powerful platform to showcase the diverse experiences of the Caribbean while shaping the future of tourism for the benefit of its people and economies.
Charmaine Spencer has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority (ABTA) following her successful tenure as Director of Tourism for the Caribbean and Latin America, a position she has held since 2018.
During her 15 years at the Authority, Spencer has held several senior leadership positions, including marketing manager, marketing consultant and, most recently, director of tourism for the Caribbean and Latin America. She has been instrumental in diversifying source markets, strengthening partnerships with airlines, travel, media and industry stakeholders, navigating periods of crisis including the COVID-19 pandemic, and increasing destination awareness through global marketing campaigns.
As director of tourism for the Caribbean and Latin America, Spencer led initiatives that improved Antigua and Barbuda’s brand visibility and drove growth in key markets. She also played a crucial role in securing new air and sea routes, boosting regional connectivity and further positioning Antigua and Barbuda as a Caribbean hub.
Spencer’s appointment comes at an important time as the destination builds on tourism momentum, expands its presence in emerging markets and integrates new technology and data-driven insights into its marketing strategy.
As CMO, she will oversee ABTA’s global marketing and commercial strategy, including brand development, integrated marketing, public relations, market intelligence, trade and partnership marketing and events strategy.
Shermain Jeremy will succeed Spencer as director of tourism for the Caribbean and Latin America, bringing 18 years of experience in destination marketing.
Jeremy currently serves as ABTA’s Special Projects and Events Manager, where she leads high-impact initiatives that strengthen the destination’s global brand, create new tourism products, deepen stakeholder engagement and generate new reasons for travelers to experience Antigua and Barbuda.
The leadership appointments come as ABTA reports a strong 7% increase in stayover visitors in the first quarter of 2026 and positions itself to build on that momentum.
Discover Dominica Authority (DDA) has appointed Wendy Lake as destination marketing manager.
In this key leadership role, Lake will oversee strategic marketing initiatives designed to enhance Nature Island’s global profile and drive sustainable visitor growth.
Lake brings 16 years of experience in the Caribbean travel and tourism sector, most recently as an international promotions specialist at Tourism Trinidad Limited.
Her expertise includes destination branding, market research, stakeholder engagement and targeted promotional campaigns. Throughout her career, she has forged strong partnerships across the public and private sectors to deliver high-impact tourism initiatives.
She is an alumna of the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine and holds a master’s degree in International Strategic Marketing.
As Destination Marketing Manager, Lake will lead the DDA’s core marketing team, focusing on innovative brand campaigns, collaborative retail partnerships and data-driven strategies in the destination’s primary source markets. Its mandate includes strengthening Dominica’s unique market positioning and increasing the effectiveness of its international and regional promotional efforts.
“Tourism represents the single most important element that will define Caribbean integration in the future. It is the only industry where we have had both competitive advantage and comparative advantage in the region. And it is the only industry that has survived the vicissitudes of time and the disruptions of weather and all the other global disruptions that have occurred. Tourism has survived and not only survived but thrived afterwards. So let us make the transition today from dominant demand-side tourism to effective demand-side tourism supply side.” – Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Jamaica
