CHTA CALLS FOR A NEW, BROADER FRAMEWORK TO MEASURE THE TRUE VALUE OF CARIBBEAN TOURISM | News

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) invites governments, development banks, tourism authorities, regional institutions and private sector leaders to adopt a new, broader framework for evaluating tourism’s contribution to the Caribbean. The proposed approach looks past visitor spending alone to measure three things that shape the region’s future: the economic value retained within Caribbean economies, the investment tourism makes in Caribbean people, and the industry’s impact on the natural environment.

CHTA’s proposal grew out of the 2026 Caribbean Travel Forum in Antigua, where public and private sector leaders agreed that the region needs better measures of tourism’s long-term value. As a starting point, CHTA recommends the Domestic Capture Rate, the share of tourism spending that stays and circulates within the host economy. The figure shows how much of every visitor dollar works for the region’s businesses and the people they employ.

“For decades the Caribbean has talked about tourism leakage,” said Nicola Madden-Greig, immediate past president of CHTA and chair of the Association’s Linkages Task Force. “That conversation taught us a great deal, and now we need a way to measure the progress we make. Domestic Capture Rate gives us a practical tool to track the value we keep and grow at home.”

A Broader Definition of Value
Economic retention tells only part of the story. CHTA wants the region to also weigh two measures long missing from the conversation.

Human capital is one of them. Tourism is the Caribbean’s largest employer, yet the region rarely tracks how well the industry develops its people. Measuring investment in training, fair wages, career pathways and local leadership would tie tourism growth to stronger livelihoods for Caribbean nationals, a priority now central to the new CTO Tourism Supply-Side Ministerial Committee.

Environmental stewardship is the other. The beaches, reefs and natural beauty that draw guests are the foundation of Caribbean tourism, yet the industry does almost nothing to measure its own footprint. CHTA wants that to change. Consistent measurement of energy use, water, waste and the condition of natural assets would help destinations protect the resources visitors come to enjoy.

“We want a fuller measure of what tourism delivers,” said CHTA CEO Vanessa Ledesma. “It includes the careers we create for Caribbean nationals and the care we take of the environment our guests come to enjoy. Measuring those things will make the whole industry stronger.”

Building on a Growing Linkages Agenda
This work builds on CHTA’s Linkages Task Force, which connects tourism with agriculture, manufacturing, creative industries, professional services and small businesses across the region. Over the past two years CHTA has hosted three Tourism Linkages Trade Shows alongside Caribbean Travel Marketplace and CHIEF, giving Caribbean small and medium sized businesses direct access to tourism buyers and procurement teams. The Association is now launching a regional Tourism Linkages Demand Study to map procurement needs, open new doors for Caribbean businesses within tourism value chains and tackle the obstacles that hold them back.

Why Better Measurement Matters
Caribbean leaders have discussed tourism leakage for more than half a century, held back by the absence of consistent, comparable measures of tourism’s net contribution. Tourism Satellite Accounts remain incomplete or unpublished in many destinations. Incentives often encourage growth without tracking local participation. Data on workforce and environmental performance is scarcer still. A practical set of measures anchored by Domestic Capture Rate would close these gaps for policymakers, investors and industry leaders.

An Action Agenda
To move the discussion forward, CHTA proposes four steps:
Develop a standardized methodology that measures value across three dimensions: economic retention through Domestic Capture Rate, investment in Caribbean people and the industry’s environmental footprint, drawing on data destinations can use today.
Strengthen Caribbean supplier capacity and SME participation in tourism supply chains, with expanded access to training, certification, financing, market intelligence and procurement opportunities. Greater local capture calls for investment in the businesses able to deliver it.
Establish shared standards for workforce development and environmental measurement, giving destinations a consistent way to track the careers tourism builds and the resources it relies on.
Open a regional dialogue on tourism policies and investment incentives that rewards local sourcing, broader local participation and responsible use of natural resources.
“The next chapter of Caribbean tourism is about the value we create for Caribbean people, the businesses they run and the places they call home,” said CHTA President Sanovnik Destang. “Good measurement shows us where the opportunities are. Real progress comes from stronger local supply chains, a skilled Caribbean workforce and a well-protected environment.”

CHTA plans to engage governments, the Caribbean Tourism Organization, CARICOM, the Caribbean Development Bank, academic institutions and private sector partners to refine the concept and build a practical framework for regional use.

For more information on the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, visit www.caribbeanhotelandtourism.com.