CARIBBEAN/FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) invites governments, development banks, tourism authorities, regional institutions and private sector leaders to adopt a new, broader framework for evaluating tourism's contribution to the Caribbean.

The proposed approach looks past visitor spending alone to measure three things that shape the region's future: the economic value retained within Caribbean economies, the investment tourism makes in Caribbean people, and the industry's impact on the natural environment. 

CHTA's proposal grew out of the 2026 Caribbean Travel Forum in Antigua, where public and private sector leaders agreed that the region needs better measures of tourism's long-term value.

As a starting point, CHTA recommends the Domestic Capture Rate, the share of tourism spending that stays and circulates within the host economy. The figure shows how much of every visitor dollar works for the region's businesses and the people they employ. 

“For decades the Caribbean has talked about tourism leakage,” said Nicola Madden-Greig, immediate past president of CHTA and chair of the Association's Linkages Task Force.

“That conversation taught us a great deal, and now we need a way to measure the progress we make. Domestic Capture Rate gives us a practical tool to track the value we keep and grow at home.” 

A Broader Definition of Value

Economic retention tells only part of the story. CHTA wants the region to also weigh two measures long missing from the conversation. 

Human capital is one of them. Tourism is the Caribbean's largest employer, yet the region rarely tracks how well the industry develops its people.

Measuring investment in training, fair wages, career pathways and local leadership would tie tourism growth to stronger livelihoods for Caribbean nationals, a priority now central to the new CTO Tourism Supply-Side Ministerial Committee.

Environmental stewardship is the other. The beaches, reefs and natural beauty that draw guests are the foundation of Caribbean tourism, yet the industry does almost nothing to measure its own footprint.

CHTA wants that to change. Consistent measurement of energy use, water, waste and the condition of natural assets would help destinations protect the resources visitors come to enjoy. 

“We want a fuller measure of what tourism delivers,” said CHTA CEO Vanessa Ledesma. “It includes the careers we create for Caribbean nationals and the care we take of the environment our guests come to enjoy. Measuring those things will make the whole industry stronger.” 

Building on a Growing Linkages Agenda

This work builds on CHTA's Linkages Task Force, which connects tourism with agriculture, manufacturing, creative industries, professional services and small businesses across the region.

Over the past two years CHTA has hosted three Tourism Linkages Trade Shows alongside Caribbean Travel Marketplace and CHIEF, giving Caribbean small and medium sized businesses direct access to tourism buyers and procurement teams.

The Association is now launching a regional Tourism Linkages Demand Study to map procurement needs, open new doors for Caribbean businesses within tourism value chains and tackle the obstacles that hold them back. 

Why Better Measurement Matters

Caribbean leaders have discussed tourism leakage for more than half a century, held back by the absence of consistent, comparable measures of tourism's net contribution.

Tourism Satellite Accounts remain incomplete or unpublished in many destinations. Incentives often encourage growth without tracking local participation.

Data on workforce and environmental performance is scarcer still. A practical set of measures anchored by Domestic Capture Rate would close these gaps for policymakers, investors and industry leaders. 

An Action Agenda

To move the discussion forward, CHTA proposes four steps:

*Develop a standardized methodology that measures value across three dimensions: economic retention through Domestic Capture Rate, investment in Caribbean people and the industry's environmental footprint, drawing on data destinations can use today.

*Strengthen Caribbean supplier capacity and SME participation in tourism supply chains, with expanded access to training, certification, financing, market intelligence and procurement opportunities. Greater local capture calls for investment in the businesses able to deliver it.

*Establish shared standards for workforce development and environmental measurement, giving destinations a consistent way to track the careers tourism builds and the resources it relies on.

*Open a regional dialogue on tourism policies and investment incentives that rewards local sourcing, broader local participation and responsible use of natural resources.

“The next chapter of Caribbean tourism is about the value we create for Caribbean people, the businesses they run and the places they call home,” said CHTA President Sanovnik Destang.

“Good measurement shows us where the opportunities are. Real progress comes from stronger local supply chains, a skilled Caribbean workforce and a well-protected environment.” 

CHTA plans to engage governments, the Caribbean Tourism Organization, CARICOM, the Caribbean Development Bank, academic institutions and private sector partners to refine the concept and build a practical framework for regional use.

SABA (THE BOTTOM) - Mr. J.R. (Jocelyn) Levenstone will be the new Island Governor of Saba. State secretary Van der Burg of Kingdom Relations and Effective Government nominated him for appointment in the council of ministers.

Jocelyn Levenstone (57) was born on Saba and was Director of the Immigration and Border Protection Service (IBP) on Sint Maarten from 2023 to early 2026. Between 2018 and 2023 he worked as Head of the Support Post of the Dutch Caribbean Coastguard on Sint Maarten. He was previously - from 2012 to 2018 - amongst other things, Safety and Security Head of the Sint Maarten harbor.

Mr. Levenstone followed the police training and started his career at the Netherlands Antilles Police Corps. During his career, he followed various leadership and management training courses.

The appointment of Mr. Levenstone as Island Governor of Saba will take effect on July 1^st 2026.

SINT MAARTEN/CURACAO - The Biblioteka Nashonal Kòrsou (BNK), National Library in Curaçao, has invited author Loekie Morales to contribute to the gift book for Siman di Ban Lesa 2026.

This collection of stories will be released as part of Children's Book Week which will take place from October 26 to 30, 2026. Children's Book Week 2026 focuses on performing arts with the theme: "Spot on!" "WAK MI BRIA!" with the subtitle: "Spòt riba mi, Spòt riba bo!" (Papiamentu).

As in previous years, the gift book will reach thousands of children on Curaçao.

This year, the BNK focuses on stories and poems centered on the performing arts. Theatre, singing, dancing, music, and performance, both on stage and behind the scenes, serve as the source of inspiration.

The gift book will feature imaginative stories and poems in which local Curaçaoan performing artists appear as characters in a magical world of imagination. These literary translations are intended as a tribute to their artistic contribution. The stories also serve as a source of inspiration for young readers.

These are emphatically not biographical accounts, but creative fiction that invites children to dream, discover, and be inspired by art and expression. The contribution must be original, contain Curaçaoan elements, and take place on Curaçao.

The story must be a fantasy/fiction story centered on the assigned character. The goal is for children to gain more insight into the person and their significance within the performing arts in an accessible and playful manner.

Author Loekie Morales was paired with Russell Soleana of the music group Issoko. In 1982, Soleana founded the group Issoco together with Ruchi Isidora and Juchi Cordoba. The name consisted of the first letters of their surnames. The group combines the mysterious sound of the benta with other traditional rhythms, poetry, and dance.

Under the leadership of Soleana, Issoco brought ‘Muzik di Zumbi’ to the world stage. The group performed in various countries. Later, the name was changed to Issoko.

Soleana received the Premio Boeli van Leeuwen 2025 in October 2025. He was awarded the distinction for his contribution to the preservation and renewal of the Curaçaoan musical heritage. For more than fifty years, Soleana has been working to preserve traditional Afro-Curaçaoan music. He is one of the masters of the traditional Benta instrument. The musician specializes in ‘Muzik di Zumbi’, a form of Afro-Curaçaoan music with roots in Africa.

The late Elis Juliana once admired Soleana’s creativity on the Benta musical instrument.

In addition to being a musician, Soleana is also a composer, teacher, and amateur anthropologist. He is recognized as a hero of Afro-Curaçaoan cultural heritage and a pioneer who inspires new generations to be proud of their spiritual and musical roots.

‘As an author with a specific assignment, the first thing you do is research the celebrity. The internet was my first portal. Yet I wanted to meet Soleana in person. I managed to do that with a few phone calls. We met in Otrabanda at the Emma Bridge. We had a meaningful conversation for nearly two hours, during which interesting similarities in our lives were discussed.

‘Thus, we discovered a striking resemblance in our mothers, both of whom were named Aura. Additionally, it turned out that our grandmothers had a significant influence on our upbringing. I immediately felt a kinship with Russel Soleana. I let his life story sink in, and a few weeks later, the story ‘When Solelé Listened to the Wind’ flowed from my pen. A short story about a boy, Solelé, who was sensitive to the sounds that nature produced around him.

‘He discovered that the wind told stories in its own way. He also discovered that the bamboo tube produced mystical sounds, depending on how he held it and blew along it… Anyway, you will be able to read the details as soon as the BNK story collection book is published. In any case, I am pleased with the approval of the story by the BNK committee and, above all, that my story has the blessing of the maestro himself, Russel Soleana,’ says Loekie Morales.

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY, (DCOMM) – The Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department within the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA), is joining the global observance of World No Tobacco Day 2026 on Sunday, May 31, by highlighting the dangers associated with tobacco and nicotine addiction and encouraging the community to make healthier lifestyle choices.

This year’s theme, established by the World Health Organization (WHO), is “Unmask the Appeal – Countering Tobacco and Nicotine Addiction” under the campaign hashtag #TobaccoExposed.

The theme focuses on raising awareness about how tobacco and nicotine industries design products to attract and addict young people.

According to WHO, approximately 15 million adolescents between the ages of 13 and 15 already use e-cigarettes worldwide, while an estimated 40 million adolescents in the same age group use tobacco products. In countries where data is available, adolescents are reportedly nine times more likely to vape than adults. WHO warns that tobacco kills up to half of its users who do not quit.

The tobacco epidemic remains one of the world’s leading public health threats, causing more than seven million deaths annually in addition to long-term illness, disability, and suffering associated with tobacco-related diseases.

All forms of tobacco use are harmful, and there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco products. These include cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, waterpipe tobacco, heated tobacco products, roll-your-own tobacco, smokeless tobacco products, and electronic nicotine delivery systems.

WHO further notes that approximately 80 percent of the world’s 1.3 billion tobacco users live in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illnesses and deaths is greatest. Tobacco use also contributes to poverty by diverting household spending away from essential needs such as food, shelter, education, and healthcare.

To combat the global tobacco epidemic, WHO Member States adopted the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in 2003. Today, 183 countries are Parties to the treaty and continue to work toward reducing tobacco use and protecting public health through stronger tobacco control measures and public awareness campaigns.

CPS encourages smokers and nicotine users to seek assistance if they wish to quit. Research shows that counseling, support programs, and medications can more than double a person’s chances of successfully quitting tobacco use. The department also stresses the importance of educating young people about the dangers of nicotine addiction and the long-term health consequences associated with tobacco use.

As part of CPS’ annual calendar of health observances, the department continues to profile important public health themes aimed at improving the health and well-being of the Sint Maarten community.

For more information, persons can contact CPS at 542-3003 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.