Caribbean Tourism Organization

What Caribbean Tourism Organization does

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is the Caribbean's regional tourism development and advocacy agency, comprising 25 Dutch, English, French, and Spanish-speaking country members plus a network of private-sector Allied Members. Headquartered in Barbados (7th Floor, Baobab Tower, Warrens, St. Michael) and operating with 11–50 employees, CTO's mandate is to coordinate pan-Caribbean sustainable tourism policy, advocacy, workforce development, market intelligence, and event platforms; it does not perform destination marketing on behalf of individual member countries, a function reserved for each country's national tourism board. CTO is structured as a non-profit inter-governmental membership organization governed by its country members and led by Secretary-General and CEO Dona Regis-Prosper.

CTO's portfolio spans conferences and events (SOTIC, Sustainable Tourism Conference, Caribbean Week in New York, Caribbean Tourism Month, Caribbean Weekend Miami), programs (CTO Foundation scholarships, Hospitality Assured certification, Tourism Human Capital Development Project, Sustainable Tourism Awards), and digital/data products (OneCaribbean.org portal, Quarterly Statistical Reviews and historical data from 1970–2015, Tourism Recovery Dashboard, Storm Watch Center, Digital Tourism Toolkit). The underlying technology stack is conventional: a WordPress-based website (onecaribbean.org), an eLearning platform via partnership with Velsoft Training Materials Inc., and standard social-media properties on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. There is no disclosed public API, SDK, or proprietary AI/ML component.

Revenue is generated through four streams: Allied Membership fees (annual subscriptions from private-sector partners), statistical data sales (Quarterly and Annual Reviews and historical datasets), event registration and sponsorship (e.g., Caribbean Weekend Miami targeting US$100,000 in fundraising), and education/training revenue via the Caribbean Tourism Institute. Distribution is membership- and event-driven rather than product-led; key commercial partners include Carnival Corporation & plc, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, United Airlines, interCaribbean Airways, and the Belize Tourism Board and Guyana government as event hosts.

Name

Caribbean Tourism Organization

Legal name

Caribbean Tourism Organization

Website

https://onecaribbean.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Caribbean Tourism Organization is a Barbados-based regional tourism development agency serving 25 Dutch, English, French, and Spanish-speaking Caribbean member countries through sustainable tourism advocacy, market intelligence, workforce development, and major events such as SOTIC and Caribbean Week in New York.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Barbaros

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Allied Membership Fees: Private sector organizations can join as Allied Members, providing revenue and partnership benefits for businesses operating in the Caribbean tourism sector.
2. Statistical Data Sales: CTO sells tourism statistics and quarterly reviews to members and external customers, including Annual Reviews, Prospects, and Historical Data (1970-2015).
3. Event Registration and Sponsorship: Revenue generated from conference registrations, sponsorships, and fundraising activities such as the Caribbean Weekend Miami event targeting US$100,000 for disaster relief.
4. Education and Training: Revenue from eLearning courses, programmes, and educational technologies offered through the Caribbean Tourism Institute partnership with Velsoft Training Materials Inc.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CTO is an inter-governmental tourism agency that delivers regional destination marketing, tourism research and statistics, hospitality quality certification, professional education and training, and policy advocacy for its 25 Caribbean member countries and allied private-sector members. It also convenes the industry through flagship conferences, awards programs, and intelligence services such as crisis monitoring and digital toolkits.

Product overview

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is the Caribbean's regional tourism development and advocacy agency with 25 Dutch, English, French, and Spanish country members and numerous private sector allied members. The CTO does not offer a traditional software product; instead, it provides a portfolio of tourism development services, programs, and platforms. Key offerings include the OneCaribbean.org website portal, the Caribbean Tourism Institute (eLearning partnership with Velsoft), Hospitality Assured certification, CTO Foundation Scholarship Awards, Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Awards, and major conferences including SOTIC, STC (Sustainable Tourism Conference), Caribbean Week NY, and Caribbean Tourism Month. The CTO also provides statistical products (Quarterly Statistical Review), the Tourism Human Capital Development Project, Digital Tourism Toolkit, Storm Watch Center, and Tourism Recovery Dashboard. The organization's vision is to position the Caribbean as the most desirable, year-round, warm weather destination, with the purpose of Leading Sustainable Tourism – One Sea, One Voice, One Caribbean.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OneCaribbean.org Destination Marketing Platform Online destination-marketing platform that promotes Caribbean member states and allied private-sector members to global travellers and trade partners under a unified Caribbean brand.
• Caribbean Tourism Institute (Education and Training) Education and training arm of CTO delivering professional development, workshops, and capacity-building courses to Caribbean tourism workforce and members.
• Hospitality Assured Certification Hospitality quality certification programme that assesses and certifies Caribbean hotels, restaurants, and tourism operators against service-quality standards.
• Tourism Statistics Products and Research Reports Paid statistical data products and tourism research reports covering arrivals, visitor spending, and Caribbean tourism market trends, sold to members and the wider industry.
• SOTIC (State of the Industry Conference) Annual flagship CTO conference convening Caribbean ministers of tourism, officials, and industry executives to discuss sector performance and policy.
• Caribbean Week New York Promotional trade and consumer event held in New York showcasing Caribbean tourism products to North American trade, media, and consumers.
• Caribbean Tourism Month Annual month-long regional campaign promoting Caribbean destinations and allied-member offers to travellers and media.
• CTO Foundation Scholarship Awards Scholarship awards funded through the CTO Foundation to support Caribbean students pursuing tourism and hospitality education.
• Sustainable Tourism Awards Programme Awards programme recognising Caribbean tourism operators and destinations for excellence in sustainable tourism practices.
• Digital Tourism Toolkit Online resource tool supporting members in developing digital marketing and distribution capability.
• Storm Watch Center Member intelligence service that monitors and reports on weather events and storms affecting Caribbean destinations to support crisis response.

Quantifiable outcome

• Caribbean recorded approximately 35 million stay-over arrivals in 2025, a 2.5% increase and the strongest tourism numbers since before the pandemic
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• interCaribbean AirwayscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 August 2026Named Official Airline Partner for SOTIC 2026 in Georgetown, Guyana (October 5-9). Partnership includes a 25% discount on flights for SOTIC delegates and CTO members traveling to the conference, designed to strengthen regional participation and improve accessibility.
• PadsPass BermudaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 March 2026CTO announced PadsPass Bermuda as its newest Allied Member, introducing a digital pet passport and health record system for travelers with pets. The app allows pet owners to store and access travel documentation digitally, reducing reliance on paper documents and simplifying compliance with international pet travel regulations.
• The Travel FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2026Renewed partnership at ITB Berlin 2026 between CTO and The Travel Foundation with an updated MOU to advance sustainable, climate-resilient, and community-centered tourism across the Caribbean. Both organizations committed to faster, finance-ready climate adaptation.
• Airports Council International – Latin America and the Caribbean (ACI-LAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2026Signed MoU at the first CTO Air Connectivity Summit in Bermuda establishing a non-binding three-year framework for strategic cooperation focused on improving air access, building institutional and human capacity, and supporting sustainable tourism growth across CTO member states.
• Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd./Belize Island Holdings Ltd.coreGTM or Marketing PartnerKey sponsors of STC 2026, providing sponsorship for the Excellence in Sustainable Tourism Award and supporting the conference's sustainability agenda.
• Carnival Corporation & plccoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor of STC 2026, providing sponsorship for the Community-Based Tourism Award and supporting the 17th edition of the Sustainable Tourism Conference in Belize.
• U.S. Virgin IslandscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerServed as Platinum Sponsor of Caribbean Week in New York 2026, hosting the CTO Foundation Luncheon. Territory showcased record-breaking visitor arrivals and announced new United Airlines nonstop service to St. Croix.
• GuyanacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHost of SOTIC 2026 (October 5-9, Georgetown), marking the first time the country will stage the conference since its inception. Premier tourism gathering for the Caribbean.
• Belize Tourism BoardcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-host of STC 2026 with CTO, organizing the 17th edition of the Sustainable Tourism Conference in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
• Velsoft Training Materials Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to offer tourism and hospitality eLearning courses, programmes and educational technologies through the Caribbean Tourism Institute.
• United AirlinesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnounced new weekly nonstop service between Newark Liberty International Airport and St. Croix beginning October 31, 2026, expanding air connectivity to the Caribbean.
• Southwest AirlinesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNew nonstop service to St. Thomas mentioned as example of increased air connectivity supporting Caribbean tourism growth.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC): Global private-sector tourism authority that convenes governments, CEOs, and industry leaders to drive sustainable travel growth — directly comparable to CTO's role as a regional convening body, awards program operator, and policy advocate, but at a global rather than Caribbean scope.
• Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA): Regional tourism membership association serving Asia-Pacific governments and private-sector members with advocacy, research, events, and training — closely parallel to CTO's pan-Caribbean membership model, conference portfolio (e.g., PATA Travel Mart), and sustainability programming.
• European Travel Commission (ETC): Regional tourism body comprising European national tourism organizations that coordinates joint marketing, research, and policy advocacy — the European counterpart to CTO's 'One Sea, One Voice, One Caribbean' pan-regional coordination mandate and Allied Membership engagement model.

Broad incumbents

• UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO): The UN's specialized agency for tourism policy, research, and sustainable development. Comparable to CTO in its role as a tourism development and advocacy body producing international statistics, but operates globally and within a multilateral governmental mandate.
• Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA): Global cruise industry trade association representing the majority of cruise lines and serving as the cruise sector's policy, sustainability, and research authority — overlaps with CTO given that cruise visits represent a major Caribbean tourism segment and CLIA engages with Caribbean destinations on sustainability standards.

Regional players

• African Tourism Board: Pan-African tourism promotion and development organization with a membership of countries and private-sector partners. Operates a comparable regional convening, advocacy, and marketing-support role to CTO, but focused on the African continent rather than the Caribbean.

Others

• World Committee on Tourism Ethics: Body overseeing the implementation of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. Relevant adjacency given CTO's sustainability, community-based tourism, and climate resilience programming through its Sustainable Tourism Department and STC conference.

Emerging players

• Sustainable Travel International: Non-profit focused on sustainable tourism destination stewardship, certification, and climate action. Comparable to CTO's Hospitality Assured certification, Sustainable Tourism Awards, and STC conference programming, but operates as a global non-profit rather than a regional intergovernmental body.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ctotourism
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CTOtourism
• Facebookfacebook.com/CaribbeanTourismOrganization
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/caribbean-tourism-organization
• Instagraminstagram.com/ctotourism

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Caribbean Tourism Organization