by Brian Major
Last updated: 4:40 PM ET, Thu September 7, 2023
Dona Regis-Prosper, Secretary-General and CEO, Caribbean Tourism Organization. (Photo Credit: Caribbean Tourism Organization)
Despite booming
visitor arrivals in several destinations, Caribbean nations face profound challenges
to continued tourism growth, said Dona Regis-Prosper, the new secretary general
and CEO of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO).
Acknowledging
the barriers, Regis-Prosper said programs to increase advocacy among
international tourism groups, support expanded regional airlift, ensure destination
sustainability and improve extreme weather resilience as priorities for a revamped CTO.
Speaking at
a Cayman Islands media briefing Thursday, Regis-Prosper said she is “well-attuned
to the critical areas our members have [identified].”
Following discussions
with industry stakeholders, which she called her “first order of business,” the
new CTO head will outline “workable solutions that will be beneficial nationally
and regionally.”
Regis-Prosper
did not provide a timeline for any new initiatives, but said CTO is “committed
to collaborating closely with all our members to grow [tourism], recognizing
the challenges [CTO] continues to grapple with in the post-pandemic era.”
She added, “I
believe in the power of the Caribbean brand. Our beautiful Caribbean Sea, our
culture, our history and year-round warm weather position us as a global
powerhouse in the tourism sector. I'm confident we will implement the best
strategy for leveraging this brand.”
Regis-Prosper,
whose experience includes CEO, director and management posts at airport and seaport
authorities for several Caribbean nations, was named secretary general/CEO in July.
She replaced
Neil Walters, who had served as CTO’s acting secretary general since 2019
following the retirement of Hugh Riley, who had held the position since 2009.
Organizational
Change
CTO has since
“revised” the CEO position to “align more closely with the needs and the objectives
of the organization,” said Kenneth Bryan, CTO’s chairman and minister of
tourism and ports for the Cayman Islands.
“The role of
the CTO secretary general has great significance,” Bryan said. “[CTO’s CEO] serves
as the driving force behind our mission to promote facilitate and enhance the
sustainable tourism development within the Caribbean region.”
CTO’s new
leader must also assume a role in environmental emergencies that impact the
region, Bryan said.
“It would be
remiss of me if I didn’t mention the pivotal role the secretary general plays at
the CTO,” he said, “with respect to disaster preparedness and coordinating responses
and recovery strategies to ensure the resilience of our tourism sectors.”
Bryan said CTO
is tasked with supporting a tourism region that “is competing for business against
[regions] who have more funding than we do,” Bryan said, “more resources than
we do and more airline connectivity than we do.”
CTO has
endured significant change in recent years. In 2019 the organization closed its New York and London offices in a move to
“significantly reduce its operational expenditures,” officials said at the time.
This year
has witnessed a resurgence as CTO added Bermuda and the United States Virgin
Islands as members countries. Regis-Prosper said CTO’s “goal is to consistently
provide unparalleled value to each member.”
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