Last week, the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) convened the Caribbean Travel Forum (CTF) at Sandals Grand Antigua, where public and private sector stakeholders from across the region gathered to discuss the commercial future of Caribbean tourism.

Through discussions involving hoteliers, tourism officials, airlines, travel advisors, destination representatives, and distribution partners, participants identified five cross-cutting themes influencing 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 created by regional fragmentation
• Rising pressure from distribution costs and third-party intermediaries
• The need for stronger tourism data to support more informed commercial and policy decisions

“The conversations at this year’s Forum demonstrated that the Caribbean hospitality and tourism industry is increasingly focused not just on growing tourism, but on growing it smarter, more sustainably, and with greater long-term value for the region,” said Sanovnik Destang, CHTA president.

Priority Areas Identified for Regional Collaboration

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 shift in how Caribbean tourism performance is measured, moving beyond arrival counts toward broader measures of visitor value, including spend per night, on-island yield, environmental and social impact, and visitor experience metrics. Discussions also addressed the value of more standardized regional metrics drawn from accommodation, payment, and mobility data.

• Regional Commercial Intelligence — Participants emphasized the need for more consistent regional tourism data and stronger information-sharing to give stakeholders, from national tourism organizations to independent hoteliers, better visibility into visitor value, seasonality, segment performance, and cruise-to-stayover conversion.

• Unified Regional Positioning and Connectivity — Attendees 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.

Beyond 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 alignment, 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 on Caribbean Travel Forum, visit www.CaribbeanTravelForum.com or for more information on CHTA, visit www.CaribbeanHotelandTourism.com.

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) is the leading organization representing the interests of the Caribbean hospitality and tourism industry for more than 60 years. With 32 National Hotel Associations as well as 1,000 diverse members spanning hotels, resorts, tourism providers, and allied partners across the region and beyond, CHTA serves as a powerful voice, resource, and connector for the Caribbean’s most vital industry.

Through ongoing advocacy, professional development, industry insights, and market intelligence, CHTA helps its members thrive in today’s competitive global marketplace. Organizations worldwide with interest in the Caribbean that want to increase their presence and connectivity in the Caribbean Hospitality and tourism industry are invited to join this dynamic community. To learn more about membership benefits and upcoming virtual and in-person events, please visit www.caribbeanhotelandtourism.com.