CHTA CEO Outlines Strategic Shift Toward Data and Emerging Markets

Vanessa Ledesma, Chief Executive Officer of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), discusses the organization's evolving role in representing 32 destinations and its push for global media diversification during the Caribbean Travel Marketplace 2026 in Antigua and Barbuda.

What is your current role within the CHTA organization?

I serve as the CEO, Chief Executive Officer.

That means you are currently the only Spanish-speaking person in this organization, correct?

At the moment, yes. I am originally from Puerto Rico.

Since you took this position, the organization has undergone a very important change. How do you consider the organization is positioned now among Caribbean countries in general?

CHTA is in its 64th year, and we will celebrate our 65th anniversary next year. It continues to be the leading organization representing the interests of the private sector. We have expanded significantly in the areas of data and intelligence, which is very important. Our membership connects 32 destinations across the Caribbean, representing hotels, accommodation providers, and tourism service providers.

Hosting the event in a small country two years in a row is complicated. How has this situation been resolved?

Usually, we do not return to a destination consecutively because we like to provide participants with a different experience. However, we had limited destinations interested in hosting for 2026. 

The government of Antigua and Barbuda was very interested in having us return, so we accepted the invitation. One major change we made over the past five years is adjusting the business floor requirements to allow non-traditional and smaller destinations to serve as hosts.

In the past, there were significant economic conditions required to cover this event. How has that changed?

Those conditions still exist, but our focus has shifted toward supporting the participation of buyers and media. The biggest change is that CHTA has taken on the financial responsibility for the business floor arrangements, which was previously required of the host destination.

There seems to be friction because the media was previously dominated by North Americans and some Europeans, with few from Ibero-America.

For us, it is vital to have media representation from all markets that bring visitors to the Caribbean. We are not just focusing on the United States, but also Canada, Latin America, Europe, and Italy. We want to include both established and emerging markets.

Given that the majority of tourists are North American, what is being done to diversify and engage investors?

While CHTA does not have a dedicated investment event, we collaborate on ALISCALA (American Lodging Investment Summit Caribbean Latin American Edition), which was held a week and a half ago. 

We are working as a region on diversification because heavy reliance on the United States means any issue there impacts all our islands. Events like the Caribbean Travel Marketplace allow destinations that may not have representation at major fairs like Fitur—such as Dominica, Grenada, or St. Vincent and the Grenadines—to connect with tour operators.