By: Staff Writer
October 16, 2026
Dr Armstrong Alexis, deputy secretary general of CARICOM, speaking at the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) in Guyana held on October 9, said that regional government’s should consider making tourism education mandatory at the primary school level.
He added: “This should be accompanied by field trips to tourist attractions, job fairs, and job placements, open days, incubators, and attachments. Secondly, let us guide our young people and encourage vertical and horizontal opportunities in tourism. Invest in youth initiatives in tourism, and engage in knowledge transfer.”
Tourism must now be used as an opportunity to reimagine the Caribbean and have prospective travellers understand that it is more than just sun, sand and sea and well endowed all inclusive resorts. “We are our food. We are our rivers, our waterfalls. We are a unique Caribbean that leisure travellers want to experience,” Alexis said.
The Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) flagship State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) 2026 took place from October 5–9, 2026, in Georgetown, Guyana. Hosted for the first time in Guyana at the Atlantic Suites by Hyatt (formerly Pegasus Corporate Suites), the conference brought together over 300 regional and global tourism ministers, policymakers, and industry leaders under the theme “Tourism Futures: Smart, Sustainable, and Inclusive”
Guyana and Jamaica have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) over the conference to strengthen cooperation in tourism and hospitality, with plans to explore opportunities in investment, air connectivity, training and sustainable tourism development.
The MOU establishes a framework for the countries to share expertise, strengthen ties between tourism stakeholders and encourage travel between the two destinations. It also identifies opportunities for cooperation in tourism investment, air connectivity, education and training, sustainable tourism and resilience.
One of the key events on the agenda was the Caribbean Tourism Research Forum, a new CTO platform aimed at strengthening tourism research and its application to decision-making.
The forum brought together researchers, academics, destination representatives, industry professionals, students and development partners. Its goal is to connect academic research with the practical needs of governments, tourism organizations and businesses.
The programme includes two presentation blocks: “Emerging Research from Caribbean Universities,” dedicated to recent work by universities and research institutions across the region, and “Research in Practice: Applied and Destination Insights,” focused on studies related to policy, planning, markets and destination management.
Topics include visitor behaviour, demand trends, sustainable and regenerative tourism, climate resilience, community tourism, workforce development, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, destination competitiveness and tourism’s economic impact.