Record-breaking growth, airlift challenges, the need for diversification and the appeal of annual events were just a few of the topics that drove conversations at the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association’s (CHTA) Caribbean Travel Marketplace.
A robust agenda of networking, press conferences and workshops marked this year’s event, which took place May 12-15 at the American University of Antigua in Antigua and Barbuda. Attendees included suppliers and buyers from a variety of global markets.
Among the newsmakers during the conference was the release of the 2026 Caribbean Travel Trends report by Amadeus in partnership with CHTA. The study found that Caribbean tourism has entered “a new strategic phase” defined largely by the need to “diversify demand, capture higher-value travelers and unlock growth beyond traditional peak periods.”
The report also spotlighted the impressive growth of several “second tier” destinations, with Dominica, Guyana, Sint Maarten/St. Martin and St. Vincent and the Grenadines among the region’s strongest year-over-year performers between April 2025 and March 2026.
In a separate announcement, CHTA unveiled the Comprehensive STR Framework, a set of guidelines designed to help destinations better understand and deal with the surge in short-term rentals (STRs). According to the CHTA, one major (unnamed) Caribbean destination reported that STR visitor nights grew 118% between 2019 and 2025, representing 39% of all visitor accommodations by the first quarter of 2026.
Luxury and Events Driving Growth
Tourism officials from multiple destinations identified several key growth trends and strategies for the region.
Greater focus on the upscale travel segment has emerged as a popular tactic for bolstering tourism revenue and stability, according to several sources. Colin C. James, CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, described the segment as recession-proof and his destination’s positioning in clear terms.
“We are not a mass-market destination,” he told attendees during a press conference. “We never want to be. We want to be a destination that people aspire to come to.”
Barbuda, he added, is being positioned as “the new St. Barts,” with development that is “sustainable, high-end and brings the maximum return to the destination.”
The event featured networking opportunities, press conferences and workshops.
Credit: 2026 Caribbean Hotel and Tourism AssociationCultural and sporting events are also helping boost visitation during off-peak months. Antigua, for example, has launched a new regatta — Antigua Racing Cup 2026 — while St. Lucia is promoting its “What kind of Summer Are You?” campaign, tying summer travel to regional sports, Carnival and the Mercury Fest beach party. Nevis is also hosting a number of summer events, including Nevis Mango Fest and Nevis Culturama Festival.
Several destinations are also increasingly looking to Latin America as a source of visitors.
“Latin America is indeed becoming an important market, not just for the region, but also for Antigua and Barbuda,” James said.
The Amadeus report confirmed the growing importance of Latin America for the Caribbean’s tourism industry — as did Edmund Bartlett, minister of tourism of Jamaica, who cited year-to-date growth of 25% from Latin America and 7% from Asia.
“South America is our strongest growth market now,” Bartlett said.
Even Africa has been identified as an emerging source market, as Nigerian carrier Air Peace was preparing to launch service linking Antigua and Barbados with Lagos in late May.
Island Updates
The Caribbean Travel Marketplace provided a platform for destinations around the region to share their latest news and arrival numbers.
Antigua and Barbuda, for example, reported a strong start to 2026.
“We’re having a phenomenal year so far,” said James of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority. “The starting blocks are very strong. For the first quarter of 2026, our arrival figures are up 7%.”
In addition, he predicted that cruise arrivals will grow 21.9% in 2026. To meet the growing demand, Antigua debuted a new $30 million cruise terminal in January and has a luxury hotel pipeline that includes Nikki Beach Residences Antigua, Moon Gate Hotel & Spa, Nobu Beach Inn Barbuda, Marriott Leisure World Hotel and Rosewood Barbuda.
Here are updates from elsewhere in the Caribbean:
• The Bahamas reports record-breaking growth of 12.5 million visitors in 2025, up 11.4% year over year and 70% compared with 2019. New developments include Rosewood Exuma, expected to open in 2028, and Royal Caribbean’s Royal Beach Club Paradise Island, which debuted in late December for the cruise line’s passengers.
Tourism officials from multiple destinations highlighted growth trends and strategies for the region.
Credit: 2026 CHTA• Barbados also shared record-breaking 2025 numbers, including 3.3% year-over-year growth in long-stay arrivals and a 22% increase in winter 2025/2026 cruise tourism. New and soon-to-open hotels include Hotel Indigo Bridgetown Barbados, Royalton Vessence Barbados, Pendry Barbados, Beaches Barbados, Hyatt Ziva Barbados and an Afreximbank-backed hotel and conference center.
• Dominica is leaning into nature-based tourism and infrastructure improvements to drive continued growth.
“2025 was an amazing year for us,” said Marva Williams, CEO and director of tourism for Discover Dominica Authority, noting a 19% surge in stayover arrivals in 2025 and a 10% jump in first-quarter 2026 stayovers.
In addition, the number of cruise visitors rose by 23% between October 2025 and April 2026. A new international airport is slated to open in 2027, while a Dominica Cable Car is expected to debut by year’s end, providing a more accessible way to take in the island’s natural beauty.
• Jamaica remains focused on hurricane recovery and continuing investment. About 80% of hotel rooms are currently operational, with the remaining 20% expected by early 2027. Over the next decade, minister of tourism Bartlett said that Jamaica expects to debut 15,000 to 20,000 new hotel rooms, as well as airport and highway upgrades.
• Kelly Fontenelle, CEO of St. Kitts Tourism Authority, said her destination is investing in experiences that move it “beyond the traditional vacation,” including the submersion of a decommissioned aircraft off Potato Bay as a new dive attraction. Still to come: In November 2027, P&O Cruises will launch homeporting in Basseterre, and a Ritz-Carlton resort — which Fontenelle described as “the most significant luxury development in St. Kitts in a generation” — is scheduled for a 2028 opening.
• St. Lucia is adding hotel inventory, including A'ila Resorts, Villas & Residences, La Belle Helene by Windjammer Landing, HQ Cas En Bas by sbe and Saphire Sands Villas by Bay Gardens Resorts.
• Turks and Caicos reported its highest first-quarter arrivals ever, with stayover visits up 5% from the same period in 2025. New and upcoming hotel developments include Treasure Beach Village at Beaches Turks & Caicos, Hotel Indigo Turks & Caicos Grace Bay, Ellipse Grace Bay and Andaz Turks & Caicos at Grace Bay. Slated to debut in 2027 are The Loren Turks & Caicos; St. Regis, Turks & Caicos, The Residences; Janu Turks & Caicos; InterContinental Turks & Caicos; and Kimpton Turks & Caicos. Yachting is also on the rise, with 1,362 more calls in 2025 compared to the previous year.
• The U.S. Virgin Islands, meanwhile, reported 303,388 arrivals in the first quarter of 2026, up 12% over 2025 and 6% above the previous record set in 2024. March 2026 alone was up 23% year over year. Despite the loss of some 90,000 arriving airline seats due to the Spirit Airlines shutdown, Alani Henneman, assistant commissioner of marketing and communications for U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism, is optimistic about sustained demand, strategic partnerships and new hospitality offerings, including Hampton by Hilton St. Thomas, Hotel 1829 and The Saint.
