NEW YORK, New York - Chairman of the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), Ian Gooding-Edghill, says he is looking forward to the 2025 State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) to be held in Barbados later this year, following a successful Caribbean Week here.
CTO chairman, Ian Gooding-Edghill“This is my first Caribbean Week as Chairman of the CTO and based on all the feedback we received, it went extremely well,” said Gooding-Edghill, who is also the Barbados Minister of Tourism and International Transport.
“We are certainly delighted that we’ve had so many participants registered. It also tells us that the organization is going in the right direction.”
Barbados will host SOTIC2025 from September 28 to October 4, and Gooding-Edghill said that connectivity, tourism growth, and economic linkages will be central to the discussions there.
“The only way you can grow your tourism business is by increasing spend or by driving additional traffic to the destination, and we believe in both.
“And of course, ensuring that we have a strong linkages program with the agriculture, manufacturing sectors within the Caribbean so that we can retain more of the foreign exchange that is spent within the Caribbean,” he added.
Caribbean Week was held under the theme “Caribbean Resilience: Crafting Tomorrow’s Tourism” and brought together tourism leaders, cultural influencers and media stakeholders for a series of high-level discussions, workshops, and networking events focused on shaping the region’s tourism future.
One of the event’s highlights was the Council of Ministers and Commissioners meeting with Gooding-Edghill indicating “we were in the session for just over four hours, which speaks to the value of the contributions at that meeting.
“We’ve also specifically laid out additional work that the CTO will have to undertake,” he said, emphasizing the importance of robust research and data in strategic planning.
“Research plays a significant role in our day-to-day business … and we discussed how we can finetune and get additional data and metrics … and plan strategically to advance the Caribbean’s interests.”
Caribbean Week also marked the launch of the CTO’s Reimagine Plan (2025-2027), which seeks to provide CTO’s strategic direction for the next three years. It is anchored by five key pillars: advocacy, market competitiveness, tourism intelligence, sustainable and regenerative tourism, and people development.
“We will continue to focus on the Reimagine program. It’s an exciting time for us as CTO … ever so often you have to look back and you have to look internally and see where you are and where you want to go … and that is the Reimagine plan for us,” said Gooding-Edghill.
The CTO chairman also addressed intra-regional travel, acknowledging progress and the work ahead.
“Connectivity within the Caribbean continues to be a challenge … we have to ensure that we improve connectivity and there is a CTO Airlift Committee … tasked with not only bringing solutions to the table, but also making recommendations so we can advance greater connectivity.”
Reflecting on the broader impact of Caribbean Week, the CTO chairman noted that one of the key takeaways was the opportunity for professionals across the industry to connect and exchange ideas.
He said that beyond networking, the event offered valuable insights into emerging trends, with the diversity of panelists and speakers highlighting CTO’s forward-looking vision.
CHTO Secretary General and chief executive officer, Dona Regis-Prosper paid thanked the organizers of Caribbean Week, saying “their vision, energy and commitment to advancing regional collaboration and sustainable growth were evident in every aspect of this year’s event.
“We are charting a bold and inclusive path forward for Caribbean tourism, and the success of Caribbean Week 2025 reflects the strength of that direction,” she added.
