The MPE Caribbean Report Newsletter offers travel, tourism, Caribbean and global news weekly. To share stories, information or intelligence, contact us at info@marketplaceexcellence.com. | | Registration opens for CTO’s SOTIC 2026 in Guyana | | |
Registration is now open for the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) 2026 State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC), to be held in Georgetown, Guyana, Oct. 5-9.
Under the theme “Tourism Futures: Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive,” the conference will bring together tourism leaders from across the region and beyond.
The program will feature the official State of the Tourism Industry presentation, engaging sessions on data and innovation, the inaugural Caribbean Tourism Research Forum, the Regional Tourism Youth Congress, and discussions on investment opportunities and the importance of cruise tourism to the region.
CTO has named interCaribbean Airways the Official Airline Partner for SOTIC 2026. Through the partnership, SOTIC delegates and CTO members will receive a 25% discount on flights to Guyana, helping to strengthen regional participation and make the conference more accessible to attendees from across the Caribbean.
The interCaribbean Airways discount code will be provided upon registration.
Register today at sotic.onecaribbean.org.
| | FCCA encourages early booking for Puerto Rico conference | |
Delegates planning to attend the 32nd Annual FCCA Cruise Conference & Trade Show, scheduled for Oct. 12-16, 2026, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, are being encouraged to register soonest and secure accommodations at the official conference hotel.
A limited number of rooms is available at the Sheraton Puerto Rico Resort & Casino. The hotel sold out in early September last year, leaving many conference participants unable to stay at the host property.
Located directly across from the Puerto Rico Convention Center, the Sheraton provides convenient access to conference sessions, meetings and networking activities. The property also offers several dining options and easy access to Distrito T-Mobile.
Attendees who register by Aug. 31 will qualify for early-bird savings and be eligible to schedule one-on-one meetings.
Registered attendees will also receive access to the inaugural FCCA Caribbean Intel Briefing, a new virtual series providing cruise industry insights and market intelligence in the lead-up to the conference.
Registration and hotel details are available at FCCAConference.com.
| | “Digital competitiveness has become business competitiveness. Being discoverable, easy to book and visible online is now just as important as physical connectivity, making a strong digital presence an essential part of remaining competitive. Technology, particularly artificial intelligence, is changing the way travelers research, plan and book their trips. At the same time, it is creating practical opportunities for hospitality businesses to strengthen guest relationships, improve operational efficiency, enhance storytelling, and deliver more personalized experiences.” — Vanessa Ledesma, CEO, Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association | | “To every hospitality professional across the Caribbean: be the gift of giving. Share your knowledge. Open doors. Develop talent. Mentor someone. Our legacy will never be measured only by the positions we held but by the people we helped become better because we took the time to pour into them. The Caribbean has become one of the world’s most desirable regions, but if we are to sustain that success, we must build capacity from within. We cannot afford to lose our authentic human capital. Our greatest asset has always been our people.” — Jameel Rochester, Director of Tourism, Anguilla | | In case you missed it ... | | |
For Caribbean Tourism Authority highlights this week, click below:
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“A visitor paying US$1,000 a night to an internationally owned resort may appear exceptionally valuable but the booking may have been made through a foreign intermediary, much of the food and beverage may be imported, and a significant share of the revenue may leave the destination.
“Another visitor may spend less in total but stay longer and distribute more of that expenditure among locally owned restaurants, guides, taxis, retailers, attractions and cultural businesses.
“Which visitor creates more value?
“We cannot answer that from arrival totals, hotel occupancy or gross visitor expenditure alone. Value depends on how much money remains in the destination, who receives it, what employment and tax revenue it generates and what infrastructure, social and environmental costs accompany it.
“A high-spending visitor is therefore not necessarily a high-value visitor.” — Dr. James Hepple, Managing Director, Tourism Analytics
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International Youth Day is observed annually on Aug. 12 to recognize young people as essential partners in addressing the opportunities and challenges they face around the world.
This year’s theme, “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” highlights that, despite living in different circumstances, young people share many of the same hopes for their future.
Those in Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States often face challenges such as poverty, limited economic opportunities and unequal access to digital technology.
Across these diverse settings, young people continue to aspire to quality education, decent work, meaningful participation in society and the opportunity to live with dignity.
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