The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) has selected Florida International University (FIU) and the research team at its Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management to conduct a region-wide Caribbean Tourism Demand Study aimed at identifying new opportunities to strengthen the links between tourism and local and regional economies.

The six-month research project will measure current and potential demand from the tourism industry for goods and services across agriculture, manufacturing, entertainment and the creative industries. It will also quantify economic leakages, identify investment opportunities and recommend strategies to increase local and regional sourcing.

Tourism generates more than US$40 billion in visitor spending

Tourism remains one of the Caribbean’s most important economic engines, generating foreign exchange, employment, tax revenues and investment throughout the region.

In 2025, the Caribbean welcomed an estimated 35 million stayover visitors, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Visitor spending is estimated to have exceeded US$40 billion, generating substantial demand for food, beverages, manufactured products, entertainment and other tourism-related goods and services.

However, a significant share of that demand continues to be met through imports. CHTA sees this as a major opportunity to increase sourcing from Caribbean farmers, manufacturers, artisans and creative enterprises, allowing more tourism-related spending to remain within the region.

The study builds on a Tourism Demand Study conducted in Jamaica in 2014 and 2015, expanding the research to multiple Caribbean destinations.

Research will cover at least six Caribbean jurisdictions

Over a six-month period, FIU researchers will examine demand for agricultural products, manufactured goods, entertainment services and other inputs required by the hospitality and tourism industry.

The research team will map supply chains connecting tourism businesses with domestic producers and regional trade networks, estimate economic leakages by product and service category, identify investment opportunities and assess whether regional suppliers have the capacity to meet tourism industry demand.

At least six Caribbean jurisdictions will be selected to represent different levels of tourism intensity, geographic diversity and tourism product mixes.

The sample will include destinations ranging from large all-inclusive and cruise-focused markets to boutique and specialty tourism destinations.

Hotels, restaurants, cruise operators, attractions and tour operators will participate through surveys, while government ministries, suppliers and investor groups will also be interviewed.

Turning research into investment opportunities

Michael Cheng, dean of FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, said the research will combine tourism, trade and investment data with primary field research.

The FIU team will also use simulation modelling to extrapolate findings from participating businesses and produce national and regional estimates of tourism demand and expenditure patterns.

The findings are expected to support policy, trade facilitation and investment recommendations aimed at deepening economic linkages between tourism and other productive sectors across the Caribbean.

The study is being guided by CHTA’s Linkages Task Force, chaired by Immediate Past President Nicola Madden-Greig.

“Tourism must continue to serve as a catalyst for entrepreneurship and economic empowerment,” Madden-Greig said, emphasizing the importance of creating greater opportunities for Caribbean businesses and communities to benefit from the visitor economy.

Keeping more tourism dollars in the Caribbean

For CHTA, the initiative is part of a broader strategy to ensure that a greater share of tourism-generated economic value remains within the region.

CHTA President Sanovnik Destang said the research will complement the association’s work in areas such as human resource development, climate resilience and industry competitiveness, while contributing to a more inclusive and sustainable tourism sector.

CHTA CEO Vanessa Ledesma emphasized that understanding where tourism demand exists and where local and regional sourcing opportunities can be developed will help tourism businesses manage costs while supporting Caribbean producers.

Once completed, CHTA plans to share the final report, executive summary and policy briefs with its members, governments and regional development partners.

The initiative could become an important roadmap for connecting Caribbean tourism with agriculture, manufacturing, entertainment, creative industries and entrepreneurship, helping the region retain more of the economic value generated by its tourism sector.

Source: Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA).