The Voice                                       January 30 2025

   So said Dona Regis-Prosper, Secretary-General and CEO of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), in a keynote address at the 2025 Virgin Islands Tourism Summit, held in the British Virgin Islands (BVI).

   Addressing an audience of over 300 tourism stakeholders on “Strategic Partnerships for Sustainable Caribbean Tourism Services”, Regis-Prosper challenged the region to rethink its approach to tourism development, emphasising that dialogue alone is not enough.

   “This is not a talk shop,” she asserted. “It’s important that we get together as professionals and talk about the future of tourism.” Her speech set the stage for an ambitious vision of a collaborative, resilient and innovation-driven Caribbean tourism industry.

   Regis-Prosper posed a pointed question to the audience: “Is our beauty enough to guarantee our future?” “At this critical juncture, while our natural beauty is undeniable, we must not for one minute believe that it’s enough to secure the future of the Caribbean,” she warned, emphasising the need for strong, innovative and sustainable tourism models.

   Highlighting the CTO’s Five Points of Sustainable Tourism -People, Planet, Prosperity, Purpose and Partnership-, Regis-Prosper stressed that tourism must go beyond resilience and become restorative.

   She announced that later this year, CTO will unveil a reimagined plan focused on five key areas: Advocacy, Market Intelligence, Market Competitiveness, People Development and Sustainable and Regenerative Tourism

   “These pillars represent a collective vision for a resilient and sustainable tourism sector,” she stated, adding that true collaboration “has to start in the mind.”

   At the heart of her address was a call for greater regional and international collaboration. Regis-Prosper highlighted the CTO’s expanding network, which now includes 25 member countries and 65 private-sector partners, spanning airlines, cruise lines, and travel and marketing agencies.

   She emphasized the power of public-private sector partnerships, which allow governments and businesses to pool resources, expertise and knowledge.

   “The CTO, for example, is a real-world example of the power of partnerships,” she said, citing joint efforts to tackle issues such as sustainable infrastructure, waste management, and eco-friendly technologies.

   She also underscored the importance of local communities in shaping the region’s tourism future, especially in the area of product development. “Residents must be included in the discussions,” she said. “These are the people, the stewards of our culture, our environment, and our resources.”

   The tourism leader identified people as the Caribbean’s greatest asset and urged the industry to invest in workforce development.

   “Tourism is ultimately about people,” she said, pointing to CTO’s 192 training courses (developed in partnership with the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association), online learning platforms, and tourism eBooks for primary school students aimed at encouraging young people to see tourism as a viable career.

   Regis-Prosper closed her address with a call for regional unity, urging leaders to see each other as collaborators, not competitors.

   “We have the opportunity to shape tourism that benefits not only our local economies but also our environments and our local communities,” she said and challenged stakeholders to embrace partnerships, innovation, and sustainability to ensure that the Caribbean remains “the world’s most desirable and responsible tourism destination.”

   With her stirring message, Regis-Prosper left no doubt: the future of Caribbean tourism will be determined not only by its beauty but by its vision, strategy and collective action.