February 23, 2026

Tourism & Takeoffs: Caribbean leaders head to Bermuda for high-level talks

The stage is set in Bermuda for what promises to be a landmark gathering for regional aviation and tourism this week: the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) Air Connectivity Summit. Top airline executives, airport leaders, tourism ministers, directors and policymakers will converge to tackle one of the region’s most persistent challenges: improving air access.

The one-day event, titled “Integrating Aviation and Regional Tourism Development,” is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club. Hosted by CTO in partnership with the Government of Bermuda, the summit forms part of the organization’s Spring Business Meetings, which begin today. 

Close to 175 delegates are registered for the conference, including tourism ministers from across the Caribbean region as well as delegates from Aruba, Canada, Chile, Ireland, Malta, Mexico, Panama, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The Air Connectivity Summit aligns with CTO’s Reimagine Plan and the work of its Airlift Committee to support sustainable growth through improved connectivity.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/ctoairconnectivity.

From vulnerability to investability: Caribbean leaders address tourism resilience

Webinar participants last Tuesday

Global Tourism Resilience Day on Tuesday, Feb. 17 brought together Caribbean and global leaders to move resilience from concept to action.

In a webinar, produced by the Global Tourism Resilience & Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), the Caribbean Tourism Organization, and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), CTO Secretary-General Dona Regis-Prosper emphasized that resilience is built through collaboration, partnerships and shared leadership. CTO Deputy Director of Sustainable Tourism Narendra Ramgulam delivered the regional perspective, underscoring that getting resilience right sends a vital signal to investors, allowing destinations to move from vulnerability to investability.

Ramgulam outlined the CTO’s three-pillar approach to building a resilient region:

• Policy and Planning

• Systems and Institutions

• Partnerships and People

CHTA President Sanovnik Destang and Immediate Past President Nicola Madden-Greig anchored their remarks in a single, defining proposition — resilience is no longer reactive; it is institutional, collaborative and increasingly digital. It was a message that resonated with forum organizer Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism and cofounder of GTRCMC, who framed it simply: “Resilience is the new currency of tourism.”