4 months ago
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The Caribbean Tourism Organization, CTO, has unveiled a three-year roadmap to transform the region’s tourism sector, launching its Reimagine Plan 2025-2027 in New York.
CTO Secretary General Dona Regis-Prosper said that the plan outlines a strategic vision to position the Caribbean as a global leader in sustainable tourism, while strengthening internal operations and delivering measurable results for member countries.
“The past few years have tested the strength of our tourism industry like never before,” Regis-Prosper said in a video. “But in true Caribbean spirit, we have adapted, rebuilt, and moved forward. This renewed vision reflects our collective aspirations for sustainable growth, greater resilience, and lasting prosperity.”
The CTO says the new plan is structured around five core pillars, namely sustainable and regenerative tourism, tourism intelligence, advocacy, market competitiveness, and people development.
It said that the Reimagine Plan aims to increase government and allied membership, strengthen tourism data infrastructure, expand training for marginalised groups, and enhance service standards across the region. A sixth focus on operational excellence will guide internal reforms within CTO.
Barbados’ Minister of Tourism and International Transport and CTO Chairman Ian Gooding-Edghill said that the Reimagine Plan is more than a strategy, noting it’s a regional imperative.
“The time is now. The change-makers are present. The visionaries are in motion. Let us reimagine tourism not simply as a sector, but as a vehicle for empowerment, a platform for innovation, and a source of dignity for our people,” he said.
Director General of Tourism for The Bahamas and a member of the CTO Reimagine Oversight Committee, Latia Duncombe, called the initiative “a call to action,” noting the importance of it implementation.
“We cannot afford to treat this as just another framework … our ability to move the needle depends on how well we translate vision to execution.”
The plan emerged from more than two years of consultation, analysis and collaboration, the tourism organisation said.
Jamaica’s Director of Tourism and the Committee co-chair, Donovan White, said the process has brought new alignment across the region.
“The last two and a half years feel different …; it feels like we are finally understanding that we have to pull in one direction,” White said.
Director of Tourism for the Cayman Islands, Rosa Harris, who chaired the CTO board of directors during the first part of the development of the plan, described it as a direct response to calls from member states for greater value and relevance.
“There was a recurring theme that we faced as chair in 2022-2023: CTO needs to add value … we heard the call loud and clear,” Harris remarked.
Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, speaking at the launch of the plan, highlighted the Caribbean’s unique vulnerabilities, untapped potential and resilience.
“The Caribbean is the most dependent region on planet Earth for tourism,” he said, adding that to fully harness that potential, regional leaders must “harmonise policies, put aside nationalism and embrace regionalism.”
The Reimagine Plan is now being rolled out across the region, CTO said.
CMC
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