The Caribbean Tourism Organization is calling for a regional approach to technology that keeps people, communities and culture central to the development of tourism.
The regional industry organisation marked World Tourism Day 2026 with a programme on Monday, 28 September, under the theme, ‘Digital agenda and artificial intelligence to redesign tourism’.
The theme comes as technology changes how travellers plan and book trips, discover destinations and share experiences, while also affecting how tourism businesses operate.
The CTO’s World Tourism Day programme focused on turning those changes into practical applications for the Caribbean tourism sector.
“For the Caribbean, the question is not simply how quickly we adopt new technology,” Dona Regis-Prosper, secretary-general and CEO of CTO, said in a press release on 27 September.
“It is how we use it in ways that make tourism work better for our destinations, our businesses, our communities and our people.”
The approach forms part of the CTO’s Reimagine Plan 2025-2027, which is structured around six strategic pillars – advocacy, market competitiveness, tourism intelligence, sustainable and regenerative tourism, people development and operational excellence.
“Technology touches every part of that agenda,” Regis-Prosper said.
“It can give us better information, help destinations understand what travellers want, support stronger planning, help us manage tourism more responsibly, strengthen the skills of our people and allow our organizations and businesses to work more effectively.”
She said technology should complement the characteristics that underpin Caribbean tourism.
“Tourism in the Caribbean is built on human connection. It is our hospitality, our culture, our communities, our stories and our sense of place that make this region special. Technology should support those strengths, not take their place.”
The CTO also held its World Tourism Day AI Tourism Bootcamp on 28 September, giving tourism professionals practical experience with digital tools that can be applied to their work.
The bootcamp uses a ‘Learn. Build. Share. Implement.’ approach, with participants expected to leave with a tourism product or asset that can be developed further within their organisations.
The programme is aimed at ministries and tourism departments, community tourism organisations, small and medium-sized tourism enterprises, young tourism professionals, students and entrepreneurs.
Regis-Prosper said access to technology and skills would be important as the sector changes.
“We have to make sure progress is shared. Smaller destinations, small businesses, young people and communities must have access to the knowledge and tools they need to participate fully in the changing tourism landscape.”
The discussion will continue in Guyana at the CTO’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference from 5 to 9 October.
The conference will use the theme, ‘Tourism futures: Smart, sustainable and inclusive’ and cover technology, research, talent, sustainability, connectivity and competitiveness.
“World Tourism Day is not only about celebrating tourism. It is an opportunity to ask how we make it stronger, fairer and more valuable to the people who depend on it,” Regis-Prosper said.
“The future of Caribbean tourism will not be shaped by technology alone. It will be shaped by how wisely we use it, how well we prepare our people and how clearly we remain focused on creating lasting benefits for the Caribbean.”
