San Pedro, Belize. During the Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development (STC 2026), organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization in partnership with the Belize Tourism Board, Narendra Ramgulam, Deputy Director of Sustainable Tourism at the CTO, highlighted the strong engagement and practical focus of this year’s edition.

In an interview with ABC MUNDIAL, Ramgulam—who also moderated several sessions—said the conference went beyond knowledge-sharing and focused on delivering actionable tools and solutions for the Caribbean tourism industry.

“It has been a successful conference. It was not just about sharing knowledge, but about sharing toolkits, solutions, and taking the discussion to the next level,” he said.

He emphasized the high level of audience engagement, noting packed rooms and active participation throughout the sessions as a key indicator of success.

Ramgulam also highlighted the presence of global voices such as Indigenous tourism leader Dame Pania Tyson-Nathan, climate expert Professor Dale Webber, and sustainable tourism specialist Paloma Zapata, alongside regional ministers and policymakers.

“When ministers are engaged, it means sustainability and regenerative tourism are now entering decision-making processes,” he noted.

Three key pillars: oceans, climate, and regeneration

Ramgulam identified three main thematic pillars emerging from the conference.

The first was blue tourism, centered on ocean ecosystems, which are critical to the Caribbean’s island economies.

The second was climate change, which he described as a defining challenge for the region’s tourism future, warning about the risks of rising temperatures and coral reef loss.

“Between 70 to 90 percent of warm-water corals could disappear if we do not act,” he warned.

The third and most transformative concept was regenerative tourism, which goes beyond sustainability.

“Sustainability is about keeping the resource base constant. Regenerative tourism is about leaving destinations better than we found them,” he explained.

The STC 2026 thus reinforces a regional roadmap toward a more resilient Caribbean tourism model built on climate action, ocean protection, and regenerative development strategies.