by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 8:50 AM ET, Mon October 12, 2026
Twin-island nation Antigua and Barbuda has been chosen to host the 2027 State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC), the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s flagship annual event.
Charles “Max” Fernandez, Antigua and Barbuda’s minister of tourism, civil aviation, transportation and investments, is also CTO’s newly elected chairman. Fernandez praised the choice of host nation.
“Antigua and Barbuda is honored to welcome the Caribbean tourism community for SOTIC 2027,” Fernandez said. “We look forward to sharing the warmth and hospitality of our people while providing a setting for meaningful dialogue about the opportunities and challenges ahead.”
More information about SOTIC 2027 will be released in the coming months.
“Hosting SOTIC will also allow us to showcase the continued evolution and advancement of our tourism product and the experiences that distinguish our twin-island destination,” continued Fernandez. “We are deeply committed to the Caribbean and to working with our regional partners to strengthen tourism as a force for shared prosperity, resilience and opportunity across our region.”
The news comes as the SOTIC 2026 event closes in Georgetown, Guyana, on October 11. SOTIC 2026 brought together major players in Caribbean tourism, including tourism ministers, commissioners and directors, private-sector executives, regional and international partners, academics, young people and the media, to examine the issues affecting tourism in the Caribbean.
Antigua and Barbuda has seen its tourism grow this year, welcoming 6.7% more overnight travelers in the first quarter than in 2025.
It’s also planning to become the first port of call for the new MSC World Europa this December, with an expanded schedule of cruise ship visits in 2027.
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