At the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) recent general meetings held in Georgetown, Guyana, the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has earned a pivotal leadership appointment, being voted into the position of Vice Chair of the CTO Board of Directors. Representing the island nation at the gathering was Tourism Minister Marsha Henderson, who accepted the role on the federation’s behalf.
Under the terms of the appointment, St. Kitts and Nevis will join The Bahamas as a co-representative of all Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states on the board. The new role also automatically grants the federation a seat on the CTO Board’s Executive Committee, a promotion that gives St. Kitts and Nevis direct decision-making power to shape the future of tourism strategy across the entire Caribbean region.
This leadership appointment comes at a critical juncture for Caribbean tourism, as destination nations across the region work collectively to build greater sector resilience, advance sustainable tourism development, and ensure that tourism-generated economic growth is distributed more equitably across local communities and domestic industries.
During its tenure in the Vice Chair role, St. Kitts and Nevis is expected to bring a small-nation perspective to key regional policy discussions, contributing to ongoing work on core priorities including workforce development for the tourism sector, scaling sustainable tourism infrastructure and practices, and forging stronger cross-sector partnerships between tourism and other key domestic economic drivers, from agriculture and manufacturing to the fast-growing creative economy.
Regional tourism observers and industry leaders frame the appointment as a mutually beneficial opportunity: it will allow St. Kitts and Nevis to amplify the unique needs and priorities of small island developing states across the Caribbean, while expanding the federation’s contributions to the CTO’s collective regional tourism agenda.
The CTO meetings also brought a full slate of leadership changes across the organization’s top governing bodies. In addition to St. Kitts and Nevis’ appointment, Charles “Max” Fernandez, Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Transportation and Investment, was elected Chairman of the CTO Council of Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism. Colin James, Chief Executive Officer of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, secured the top role of Chair of the CTO Board of Directors.
These new leaders succeed the outgoing leadership team from Barbados, which held all three top positions during the previous tenure. Meeting delegates formally recognized the contributions of outgoing chairholders Ian Gooding-Edghill, Barbados’ Minister of Tourism and International Transport, and Andrea Franklin, Chief Executive Officer of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., for their successful steering of the CTO through their term in office.