CTO launches landmark tourism supply side committee

Published on June 8, 2026

Calling for a new model of tourism that creates and retains greater value within the Caribbean, Dr. Terrance Drew, prime minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and chairman of CARICOM, has endorsed the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) new Tourism Supply Side Initiative, describing it as a critical step toward ensuring that tourism benefits the region’s people and its economies.

Prime Minister Drew delivered virtual remarks Thursday during the launch of the new committee at Caribbean Week in New York, held at InterContinental New York Times Square.

Speaking in his capacity as CARICOM chairman, Dr. Drew said the future of Caribbean tourism must be centered on creating greater value for the region by strengthening connections between tourism and the wider economy.

He emphasized that the sector should support local entrepreneurs, rural communities, small businesses, women and youth while fostering innovation, regional integration and sustainable development.

“Tourism must not only create wealth in the Caribbean; it must help keep that wealth in the Caribbean,” he said.

The new committee represents a strategic shift from a traditional demand-driven focus on visitor arrivals to a comprehensive supply-side approach centered on workforce development, local supplier integration, logistics, infrastructure, digital transformation and public-private partnerships.