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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.

September 28, 2026

The Mighty Sparrow: Caribbean mourns a cultural giant

The Mighty Sparrow

The Caribbean is mourning the loss of one of its defining cultural figures. Slinger Francisco — the Mighty Sparrow — died Sunday in New York at age 91, bringing to a close one of the most remarkable careers in Caribbean music.

Grenada-born and Trinidad-raised, Sparrow was far more than a prolific calypsonian. Known as “The Calypso King of the World,” he was a musical genius and culture bearer whose melodies and razor-sharp lyrics captured Caribbean life in all its humor, contradictions, politics, romance and humanity.

Tributes continue to pour in from across the region. Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar remembered Sparrow as a patriot and cultural ambassador whose music carried the country’s spirit and stories around the world. “For decades, Sparrow has been part of the soundtrack of Trinidad and Tobago. His music made us laugh, made us think, and made us proud of who we are,” she wrote.

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley described Sparrow as woven into “our Caribbean civilization,” adding simply: “He belonged to all of us.”

Saint Lucia Opposition Leader Allen Chastanet, recalling that Sparrow performed at his wedding, wrote: “He gave us stories, laughter and a voice we could recognize as our own.”

The Birdie has taken flight, but his music remains — in homes, communities, calypso venues and wherever Caribbean people gather and remember who they are.

Rest in peace, Sparrow. You served the Caribbean faithfully, and your music will continue to reverberate for generations.

The stage is set for SOTIC 2026 in Guyana

The Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) 2026 heads to Georgetown, Guyana from Oct. 5-9 under the theme “Tourism Futures: Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive.”

Guyana President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali will deliver the keynote address as tourism leaders, industry partners, researchers, media and students examine the forces shaping Caribbean tourism.

The week will feature high-level discussions on airlift, tourism intelligence, technology, investment and competitiveness along with practical learning opportunities such as a cruise master class on maximizing destination value and an Amadeus Big Data Workshop on turning travel intelligence into destination advantage.

Other highlights include the Future Leaders Forum, ministerial discussions, the Regional Tourism Youth Congress and destination media briefings.

With delegates preparing to converge on Georgetown, the stage is set for a week focused on discussing the future of Caribbean tourism and helping to shape it.

For more details, visit sotic.onecaribbean.org.

CMEx honoree Gercine Carter’s career spans nearly 50 years of tourism storytelling

Gercine Carter

The Caribbean Media Exchange (CMEx) highlights Barbadian journalist Gercine Carter, a distinguished leadership laureate who will be celebrated at the 2026 CMEx Leadership Awards and Fundraiser on Sunday, Dec. 6 at Loews Coral Gables Hotel in the Miami area.

Carter has spent nearly five decades covering the people, places and events that shape Caribbean tourism.

Her broadcasting career began at age 15 when she was invited to host a radio program for teenagers. She later joined a youth discussion series produced by the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation and the University of the West Indies’ Extra-Mural Department.

In 1968, Carter joined the Barbados Advocate as a reporter and was assigned to the airport beat, giving her an early view of the tourism industry. Her coverage of events at the Barbados Hilton led to a role at the hotel, first as a social hostess and later as guest and public relations manager, a position she held for 16 years.

Carter continued writing for the Barbados Advocate and later The Nation, covering tourism across Barbados, the region and internationally. She also provided consultancy services to the former Barbados Board of Tourism.

Her contributions have earned her a place in the Barbados Association of Journalists’ Hall of Fame and a Heritage Award for exceptional national coverage at the 2016 Barbados Tourism Media Awards. In 2026, Carter was named one of three finalists for the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association’s Distinguished Service to Tourism Award.

The 2026 CMEx Leadership Awards and Fundraiser is powered by Platinum Sponsor, the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism with Anguilla Tourist Board and Carnival Corporation serving as Gold Sponsors.

Major sponsors include The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board & Film Commission, Marketplace Excellence Corporation, Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board, and the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism.

Additional sponsors supporting the cause include Coco Palm (St. Lucia), Comfort Suites Paradise Island (Bahamas), Fond Doux Eco Resort (St. Lucia), Jade Mountain (St. Lucia), Ladera Resort (St. Lucia), Mount Cinnamon Beach & Wellness Resort (Grenada), GRUPO PUNTACANA (The Westin Puntacana Resort), Secret Bay (Dominica), The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, Tropical Attractions, and Vanessa James Media.

Proceeds support educational programs, youth development initiatives and professional training designed to empower the next generation of Caribbean tourism and media leaders.

For more details visit cmexmedia.org.

Andrea Franklin reflects as CTO chairmanship winds down

Andrea Franklin

As Andrea Franklin’s term as chair of the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) Board of Directors approaches its conclusion next week, the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. CEO is reflecting on the responsibility of regional leadership and the importance of a stronger, more integrated Caribbean.

In a profile in CTO’s 2026 edition of From the Sea Suite, Franklin says regional partnership must go beyond meetings and memoranda to “showing up for one another in times of challenge, aligning policies where possible and delivering outcomes that strengthen the Caribbean as a whole.”

Franklin also points to people-centered leadership as essential to the region’s long-term tourism growth, stressing empathy, grounded decision-making and ensuring communities see tangible benefits from tourism.

As her term concludes, Franklin says her measure of success is “a stronger, more engaged organization and meaningful progress on the CTO’s Reimagine Plan,” with member countries recognizing the value of CTO’s work and feeling motivated to participate.

“Being a woman in leadership has taught me to listen intently, to lead with both strength and fairness, and to let integrity guide every decision,” she said.

Read Andrea Franklin’s profile in CTO’s From the Sea Suite here: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/301446582.

Quotable Caribbean

“When women’s voices and lived experiences are not only respected but also integrated into decision-making, leadership becomes more authentic and impactful, and as such, more capable of driving meaningful and positive change.” — Marsha Henderson, Minister of Tourism, St. Kitts and Nevis

When Does a Want Become a Need?

Before COVID-19, we often treated travel as a want. A vacation. A break. Something to do if we had extra time and money.

Then the world shut down. Borders closed. Flights stopped. We could not get to a wedding, a funeral, a medical appointment or a loved one who needed us.

We learned that travel is not only about getting away. It is about being able to show up — for family, for work, for health care and for life’s important moments.

A want becomes a need when losing it costs us more than convenience. When it keeps us from the people we love, the work we must do and the moments we cannot get back, it is no longer a want.

COVID taught us that travel can become a need overnight.

That is worth remembering before we ever define travel — or anything that brings us closer to the people and moments that matter — as “just a want.”

In case you missed it ...

For Caribbean Tourism Authority highlights this week, click below:

FCCA: Royal Caribbean–Sandals Investment Highlights Opportunities Across Cruise and Land-Based Tourism

Anguilla advances luxury yachting strategy at Monaco Yacht Show

Melissa Noel to host SOTIC 2026 in Guyana

Blue Lagoon Island Brings Community Together for 41st International Coastal Cleanup

Today’s sunset inspires tomorrow’s sunrise — A column by Basil Springer

Medical Moment

World Heart Day, observed Sept. 29, draws attention to cardiovascular disease, the world’s leading cause of death. The World Heart Federation leads the annual campaign through a network of more than 200 member organizations.

The 2026 campaign, “Don’t Miss a Beat,” encourages people to recognize warning signs that can go unnoticed. The federation says cardiovascular disease claims more than 20 million lives each year and up to 80% of premature deaths are preventable.

High blood pressure often has no symptoms, making regular checks important. Healthy eating, physical activity and avoiding tobacco can also help protect heart health.



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