CHTA Holds Press Conference at Caribbean Travel Marketplace 2025
With a strong message of regional unity, innovation, and sustainability, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) held a press conference within the framework of the 43rd edition of the Caribbean Travel Marketplace in Antigua & Barbuda.
This year’s event gathered 780 delegates and 83 buyer companies from 16 international markets, including Canada, Spain, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, Argentina, and the UAE. Over 9,300 pre-scheduled appointments were held — a figure organizers called a “significant milestone.”
From the supply side, 173 tourism providers from 25 Caribbean destinations took part, connecting with tour operators, travel advisors, and new players like digital marketing agencies and direct booking platforms.
“This isn’t just another travel trade show. We’re not selling the world — we’re selling the Caribbean,” said Karen Witt, First Vice President of CHTA and Chair of the Marketplace Committee. “We’re a region of 34 diverse nations coming together with one purpose — to showcase our offerings and create real business opportunities,” she added.
Witt highlighted the event’s revamped design and tech-driven format, which allowed a smaller destination like Antigua and Barbuda — with a population of just over 100,000 — to host for the first time. “The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. This reimagining of the Marketplace opens the door for more destinations to host in the future.”
Advocacy and Regional Air Connectivity
One of the most urgent issues raised during the conference was intra-Caribbean air connectivity, a long-standing challenge for the region. President Sanovnik Destang announced that Barbados and Saint Lucia have agreed to cut regional airline taxes by 50% from June to December 2025 — a major step toward improved travel between Caribbean islands.
“We’re advocating for change in real time — what I call ‘advocacy at the speed of light’,” said Destang. “Our islands must be better connected if we are to truly integrate as a collective destination.”
He also celebrated a recent advocacy victory in the Dominican Republic, where a proposed bill to eliminate hotel tax incentives was repealed just days after CHTA issued joint statements with the local hotel association. “This is a perfect example of how collaboration works — we protected one of our most important tourism economies.”
CHTA is also engaged in initiatives supporting renewable energy legislation and coordinating a Caribbean-wide advocacy database to help member associations quickly access legal and policy data from across the region.
