CARIBBEAN/NEW YORK, NY – The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and TEMPO Networks announced a strategic partnership designed to amplify Caribbean tourism, culture, events and storytelling through expanded digital, social media and broadcast collaboration across CTO initiatives and member destinations.

The announcement follows the signing of an agreement during Caribbean Week in New York, further strengthening a relationship that dates back to the historic launch of TEMPO Networks in 2005, alongside CTO, at South Street Seaport in New York City. That landmark event, which celebrated Caribbean tourism and culture on a global stage, featured performances by several emerging Caribbean artists, including Rihanna at the very beginning of her international career.

Under the new collaboration, TEMPO will provide digital-first editorial coverage, social media storytelling, interviews, highlights and destination-focused content surrounding select CTO events and initiatives. TEMPO has also joined CTO as an Allied Member, further strengthening the network’s long-standing commitment to the Caribbean tourism sector and regional development.

Since its launch, TEMPO has worked closely with tourism boards, ministries, festivals and destination partners to help showcase the Caribbean to regional audiences, the global Caribbean diaspora and the broader mainstream market through authentic storytelling, cultural programming, events, promotions and strategic media initiatives.

Over the years, TEMPO has partnered with numerous CTO member destinations and tourism stakeholders on campaigns and activations designed to drive visibility, strengthen cultural connection, expand tourism interest and position the Caribbean as a premier global destination.

Recent collaborations and initiatives include:

• The St. Vincent & the Grenadines partnership surrounding NASCAR driver Rajah Caruth’s ambassador campaign and Caribbean storytelling initiative;
• Coverage of the U.S. Virgin Islands’ premier festivals including the Crucian Christmas Festival, St. Thomas Carnival, and St. John Celebration;
• TEMPO Trip destination promotions and giveaways with Barbados and the British Virgin Islands;
• The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority collaboration on TEMPO’s popular Hot Ones Caribbean series, showcasing St. Lucia’s cuisine, culture and destination appeal through celebrity interviews featuring St. Lucian talent;
• Tourism, culture and lifestyle storytelling initiatives across multiple Caribbean destinations and diaspora markets.

Frederick Morton, founder and CEO of TEMPO Networks, said: “CTO has been an important part of TEMPO’s journey. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we are proud to continue strengthening a relationship that for more than two decades has shared a common vision of promoting Caribbean tourism through culture, media and authentic storytelling. We look forward to continuing to work alongside CTO and its member destinations to amplify Caribbean destinations, voices and experiences across the region, throughout the diaspora and within the broader mainstream market.”

Dona Regis-Prosper, secretary-general and CEO of CTO, said: “TEMPO Networks has stood with us for 20 years as a powerful voice for the Caribbean. This deepened alliance allows us to shine a brighter light on our destinations, cultures and experiences through innovative media channels, reaching new audiences across the globe.”

As part of the collaboration, CTO and TEMPO will also explore opportunities for expanded long-form programming, destination storytelling and enhanced regional promotional initiatives utilizing content captured throughout CTO events and member destination activations.

The agreement includes collaboration surrounding major CTO initiatives including the Sustainable Tourism Conference, Caribbean Week in New York, the State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC), Caribbean Weekend in Miami and other mutually agreed opportunities.

About TEMPO Networks

Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, TEMPO Networks is the Caribbean’s premier media and cultural platform, uniquely connecting Caribbean audiences, the global Caribbean diaspora and the broader mainstream market through television, digital media, social platforms, live events and original programming focused on Caribbean culture, tourism, music, lifestyle and entertainment.

Since its launch in 2005, TEMPO has remained committed to authentic Caribbean storytelling through media, events, partnerships and original programming that showcase the richness and global influence of the Caribbean.

CARIBBEAN/NEW YORK — Barbados’ top tourism executive Andrea Franklin, and Luce Hodge-Smith, junior minister of tourism and culture for the British Virgin Islands, received top honors during the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) third annual Caribbean Women in Tourism Leadership Awards held at InterContinental New York Times Square during Caribbean Week in New York on Monday.

Franklin, CEO of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. and chairman of the CTO Board of Directors, was selected by her peers as Director of Tourism of the Year 2026. Hodge-Smith earned the Minister/Commissioner of Tourism of the Year award following similar voting by regional tourism leaders.

Sponsored by the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, the awards recognize excellence in visionary leadership, destination growth, regional tourism advancement and the ability to inspire the next generation of women in the industry.

The evening featured an inspiring keynote address by Christine Valls, managing director for Latin America and the Caribbean at United Airlines, who shared insights from her leadership journey and underscored the importance of empowering women, fostering innovation and building strong partnerships.

The Secretary-General’s Distinguished Service Award was presented to Dr. Lisa Indar, executive director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), in recognition of her outstanding contributions to healthier, safer tourism and sustainable tourism development.

The event also inducted six distinguished women into the Caribbean Women in Tourism Leadership Hall of Fame for their lasting impact on the industry:

Valérie Damaseau, Commissioner of Tourism and Culture, Saint-Martin.

Marsha Henderson, Minister of Tourism, St. Kitts and Nevis.

Rosa Harris, Director of Tourism, Cayman Islands.

Beverly Nicholson Doty, CEO, Figment Design.

Petra Roach, Director of Sales and Marketing, Wyndham Grand Barbados.

Karolin Troubetzkoy, Executive Director of Marketing and Operations, Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain Resorts, St. Lucia.

In a major initiative during the evening, CTO launched a new scholarship fund dedicated to empowering the next generation of Caribbean women in tourism. The initiative, titled “From Her to Her: From Today’s Female Leaders to Tomorrow’s Tourism Stars,” raised US $13,000 through a live fundraising auction.

The scholarship program will provide annual support for a promising female student from the Caribbean pursuing studies and a career in tourism with all proceeds benefiting the initiative through the CTO Foundation.

Guests also received a sneak preview of “From the Sea Suite,” CTO’s women’s leadership magazine profiling remarkable women across Caribbean tourism. The publication will make its official print debut at CTO’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference in Guyana, scheduled for Oct. 5–9, 2026. (CTO)

Andrea Franklin, CEO of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. and Chairman of the CTO Board of Directors, accepts the Director of Tourism of the Year award from CTO Secretary-General and CEO Dona Regis-Prosper.

Dr. Lisa Indar, Executive Director of CARPHA, delivers remarks after receiving the CTO Secretary-General’s Distinguished Service Award.

Attendees, award recipients and Hall of Fame inductees gather for a group photo during CTO’s third annual Caribbean Women in Tourism Leadership Awards at InterContinental New York Times Square during Caribbean Week in New York.

CARIBBEAN/NEW YORK — 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.

Joining Dr. Drew were Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s minister of tourism and chair of the new Tourism Supply Side Committee; Ian Gooding-Edghill, CTO chairman and Barbados’ minister of tourism and international transport for Barbados; Dona Regis-Prosper, CTO secretary-general and CEO; and Sanovnik Destang, president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA).

Minister Bartlett described the initiative as a move toward building a more integrated tourism economy by strengthening linkages between tourism and agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, transportation, technology and the creative industries.

The minister emphasized that the committee will be driven by measurable targets and practical implementation with the goal of creating a more resilient, inclusive and competitive tourism economy. “The future of Caribbean tourism must be defined not only by resilience but by transformation,” he said.

Minister Gooding-Edghill described the tourism supply side initiative as a practical, action-oriented effort to strengthen the Caribbean’s economic competitiveness by increasing the region’s capacity to supply its own tourism industry. He said the initiative — one of the most significant decisions CTO has taken — will help reduce import dependence, retain more foreign exchange, contain inflationary pressures, stimulate entrepreneurship and job creation, and build stronger regional supply chains.

Stressing the importance of implementation, he noted that the committee’s success will depend on data-driven decision-making and collaboration among governments, the private sector and development partners. “This program is about us within the Caribbean region understanding how best we can retain more of the foreign exchange that we earn within this region,” he said.

Regis-Prosper said the new development marks the realization of a long-envisioned strategy to strengthen the region’s tourism ecosystem. “Tourism cannot work in the Caribbean if it’s an insular approach. It has to be a regional approach with the Caribbean brand leading first,” she said.

The strategy also envisions the development of a regional logistics hub, a dedicated tourism bank, a regional pension plan for tourism workers and expanded capacity-building initiatives to create a more resilient and inclusive tourism economy that retains more value within the Caribbean.

Destang welcomed the committee as an accelerator of long-standing private-sector efforts: “The first chapter of Caribbean tourism was attracting visitors. The second chapter was growing arrivals. The next chapter is maximizing the value that tourism creates for our Caribbean people. That is why today’s launch matters. Not because we’re just creating another committee but because it creates another opportunity for government and the private sector to work together toward a shared objective: a more resilient and more inclusive Caribbean tourism economy.”

Chaired by Jamaica, the committee currently comprises 13 CTO member states: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Turks and Caicos Islands, and will work closely with CHTA and CTO’s allied members.

Partnerships with the Inter-American Development Bank and other stakeholders will support demand-driven analysis and the development of a regional logistics hub framework with initial deliverables targeted for early 2027. (CTO)

Caribbean tourism leaders at the launch of CTO’s Tourism Supply Side Committee during Caribbean Week in New York. Pictured (L-R): CTO SG & CEO Dona Regis-Prosper, Jamaica’s Minister Edmund Bartlett, Barbados Minister Ian Gooding-Edghill, and Sanovnik Destang of CHTA.

CARIBBEAN/NEW YORK — The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) celebrated leading storytellers, broadcasters and digital creators from the U.S. and Caribbean during the annual Caribbean Media Awards Luncheon, a signature event of Caribbean Week in New York. Sponsored by The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, the luncheon honored outstanding journalism and content creation that showcase the Caribbean's people, culture, environment and evolving tourism landscape.

“Great storytelling has the power to transform perceptions and create deeper connections between people and destinations,” said Dona Regis-Prosper, CTO’s secretary-general and CEO. “The individuals recognized through the Caribbean Media Awards are helping to tell a more complete story of our region — one that goes beyond beaches and resorts to showcase our people and heritage. Through thoughtful, impactful journalism, they are elevating Caribbean voices and bringing greater visibility to the stories that matter most.”

Awards were presented across three categories: Storytelling Excellence, Digital and Innovation, and Voices of the Caribbean. CTO commended this year’s entries for their depth, originality and commitment to authentic storytelling beyond traditional destination promotion.

Among the winners, Dana Givens earned Best Consumer Story for “Jamaica's Greenest Parish Is Its Best-Kept Secret” in National Geographic while Christina Jelski of Travel Weekly received Best Trade Article for her interview with former Bahamas Director General of Tourism Joy Jibrilu. Ryan Bachoo of Guardian Media in Trinidad & Tobago won Best Podcast/Radio for his examination of sargassum’s impact on Caribbean tourism, and the Jamaica Tourist Board captured the Social Media Campaign award for its “Reggae Marathon 2025” campaign.

In the Voices of the Caribbean category, Meschida Philip’s documentary “Echoes of Waltham” received top honors in Video Production, while Esther Jones of the Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network won Best News Reporting for her exploration of the balance between cruise tourism and marine protection in Barbados.

The Personal Immersive Story award went to Ralph Thomassaint Joseph of Documented NY for “Dancing Through Fear: A Haitian Performer Faces Deportation in New York,” praised for its compelling portrayal of the Caribbean diaspora experience. Jacqueline Charles of the Miami Herald was named Diaspora Journalist of the Year for her reporting on Haiti, while Luis Joel Méndez González of the Center for Investigative Journalism received Emerging Journalist of the Year honors for the investigative “Esencia” series.

The luncheon also marked the official launch of CTO TV, a new digital platform designed to expand the organization’s reach through video storytelling, leadership interviews, policy discussions and destination content. The platform will leverage an existing library of more than 700 videos while creating new opportunities to spotlight Caribbean tourism, innovation and regional collaboration.