CHTA-hosted forum brought together public and private sector leaders to address the region’s evolving tourism challenges and commercial opportunities
ANTIGUA – May 20, 2026 – 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
Disclaimer
This article was posted in its entirety as received by SKNVibes.com. This media house does not correct any spelling or grammatical error within press releases and commentaries. The views expressed therein are not necessarily those of SKNVibes.com, its sponsors or advertisers
