CHTA welcomes renewed interest in beach vacations

The Caribbean’s sun-soaked tourism bread and butter can further boost its all-important tourism trade, delegates to the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association’s annual tourism showcase Caribbean Tourism Marketplace were told Monday.

Carl Gordon of Mastercard’s English Caribbean region office said that company’s Global Traffic Report 2025 found there’s renewed interest among travellers in beaches.

“Beaches are back people…We have to capitalize on that,” he told delegates to the show, this year held in Antigua.

Rebounding interest in beach travel  follows what had been growing interest in big city visits, he stated.

Beaches have been at the core of Caribbean tourism, although Caribbean destinations have for years been working to diversify their tourism offerings. Caribbean economies are generally heavily dependent on tourism.  Gordon said the Caribbean is well-positioned to gain from renewed interest in beach vacations.

“The Caribbean has some of the best and most pristine beaches in the world,” he said. “We have to maximize that.”

Caribbean countries should be certain to include beach opportunities in tourism promotions, Gordon added.

Gordon also said the Caribbean should court Canadians who are deciding against travel to the United States right now because of political tensions.

“How do you reach them?” he asked while noting the Caribbean’s proximity to North America.