As the gateway to the 43rd Caribbean Travel Marketplace, Antigua and Barbuda became the epicenter of Caribbean tourism innovation with the celebration of the Caribbean Travel Forum 2025, organized by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA).

Held at the Sandals Grande Antigua, the event brought together key figures from both public and private sectors, with opening remarks by Vanessa Ledesma, CEO of the CHTA, and Sanovnik Destang, President of the organization. The Honorable Charles Fernández, Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Transport and Investment of Antigua and Barbuda, played a central role as host and panel coordinator.

The forum highlighted the growing success of the Caribbean tourism sector in 2025, marked by an increase in visitor spending and international arrivals. The region, which has benefited from a slowdown in U.S. inbound travel, is experiencing strong demand from Latin American markets such as Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil, and sees emerging opportunities in Canada and Spain.

One of the event's most awaited moments was the presentation of the "Caribbean Travel Trends 2025" report by Olivier Ponti, VP of Insights at ForwardKeys. This strategic document revealed key growth opportunities for Caribbean destinations:

• Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico lead in flight search demand, with Puerto Rico seeing a 44% increase thanks in part to Bad Bunny's summer residency, showcasing the power of music tourism.
• Latin America is a rising outbound market, with Mexico doubling its travel interest toward the Caribbean.
• Despite growing demand from Canada (+22%), the region suffers from insufficient air connectivity, especially from cities like Montreal, which saw a 62% increase in searches.
• Destinations like Curaçao and the Cayman Islands demonstrate the value of segmentation strategies—appealing to digital nomads and luxury travelers, respectively.

Throughout the forum, industry leaders tackled essential themes for the future of Caribbean tourism:

• Geopolitical and Economic Disruptions: Zeek Coleman of Tourism Economics offered a global outlook tailored to Caribbean realities.
• Mastercard Global Travel Trends: Carl Gordon shared insights into emerging travel behavior in the region.
• Policy & Advocacy Priorities: Led by James Hepple, this session addressed the policy shifts needed to support sustainable and competitive growth.
• Fixing Intra-Caribbean Airlift: A critical dialogue moderated by Sanovnik Destang, focusing on breaking the cycle of poor regional connectivity.
• Tourism Linkages That Work: Industry stakeholders explored how to drive tourism benefits into local economies through agriculture, manufacturing, and cultural initiatives.
• Sustainable Tourism in the Caribbean: Minister Fernández led a session on innovations such as Barbuda’s eco-tourism model, reef restoration, and the transformation of Redonda into a biodiversity haven.

The Caribbean Travel Forum continues through May 21 with the opening of the Marketplace trade floor, where buyers and tourism service providers hold one-on-one business meetings. These sessions are instrumental in forging commercial alliances and expanding the global footprint of Caribbean destinations.

Antigua and Barbuda, beyond being a beautiful destination, emerges as a model for regional renewal, advocating for a resilient, sustainable, and inclusive tourism model.

As the Caribbean charts its path forward, the Caribbean Travel Forum 2025 affirms itself as a critical space for reflection, innovation, and action.