Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association President Sanovnik Destang called for a structural shift in the way the Caribbean measures, manages, and projects its tourism industry during Caribbean Travel Marketplace 2026, arguing that the region must move toward a model based on “value, competitiveness, and sustainability” rather than relying solely on traditional arrival figures.

Speaking at a press conference following the Caribbean Travel Forum, Destang highlighted the event’s renewed format, which was designed to be more interactive and action-oriented. The forum brought together public and private sector leaders to identify structural challenges and work collaboratively toward practical solutions for the tourism industry.

One of the central themes of his remarks was the need to move beyond visitor arrivals as the primary measure of tourism success. Destang stressed that the Caribbean should adopt a more sophisticated framework focused on economic value, profitability, occupancy quality, seasonality, and the real contribution tourism makes to local economies.

“Not every occupied room generates the same impact,” Destang noted, emphasizing that the industry requires more advanced tools to assess tourism performance and its environmental, social, and economic footprint. In this regard, he proposed the development of a standardized regional metric system and shared KPIs that would allow tourism performance to be evaluated consistently across Caribbean destinations.

Another strategic issue raised during the conference was intra-regional connectivity, which Destang described as a critical barrier to the growth of multidestination tourism. He pointed out that the lack of direct flights between Caribbean islands continues to limit both resident mobility and visitor experiences.

Comparing the Caribbean with regions such as Europe and Asia, where stronger transportation networks facilitate multidestination travel, Destang warned that improving regional connectivity is “strategically essential” for the Caribbean’s long-term competitiveness.

A third pillar of his intervention focused on market intelligence and access to real-time tourism data. According to Destang, the region still depends too heavily on arrival statistics, limiting governments’ and private stakeholders’ ability to make informed decisions.

To address this, he proposed strengthening the collection of broader tourism data, including visitor behavior, economic impact, and consumption trends, in order to provide real-time intelligence to both governments and industry players.

Destang concluded that Caribbean tourism is entering a more strategic phase in which the objective is no longer simply to grow in volume, but to grow in a smarter, more sustainable, and more profitable way for local communities.

He also praised the forum’s updated format, which encouraged active participation from tourism stakeholders across the region, including delegations from multiple Caribbean islands. Looking ahead, he indicated that future editions will seek greater involvement from airlines and international buyers.