Market Summit Aims to Boost Caribbean Travel Growth
Saint Lucia to Host First Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Latin American Market Summit
SAO PAULO, Brazil — The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) announced that Saint Lucia will host the inaugural CTO Latin American Market Summit next year on May 5-6, 2027.
The announcement was made this week at World Travel Market (WTM) Latin America in Brazil.
The one-and-a-half-day summit is designed to deepen ties between Caribbean tourism stakeholders and the fast-growing Latin American travel market. It will convene Latin American airlines, tour operators, travel agents, media representatives and partner destinations. The goal is to identify opportunities, build commercial partnerships and advance regional collaboration.
Key objectives include positioning the Caribbean as a premier destination for Latin American travelers and sharing market research and insights through panels and keynote sessions. Additionally, the summit will enable direct one-on-one business meetings. It will also strengthen cooperation with CTO Allied Members, ACI-LAC and other industry partners. The event will also feature showcases of individual Caribbean destinations.
Improving Air Connectivity
A major focus will be improving air connectivity between the Caribbean and Latin America. Organizers plan to build on findings from the CTO Air Connectivity Study. This study highlighted capacity gaps and significant potential for new air services to key South American markets. Examples include Argentina, Chile and Brazil.
South America was the Caribbean’s strongest-performing source market in 2025, with arrivals rising 23.7% to 2.4 million visits. Officials attribute the surge to better air links, targeted marketing campaigns and rising outbound demand from the region. This shift has helped diversify the Caribbean’s traditional source markets.
“Saint Lucia is honored to host the 2027 CTO Latin American Market Summit with a strong focus on connectivity and strengthening ties with Latin America,” said Dr. Ernest Hilaire, Saint Lucia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Commerce, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Heritage.
Speaking in São Paulo at WTM Latin America, he added: “By targeting new direct links, we can open fresh markets, boost visitor numbers and revenue, and drive sustainable economic growth across the region’s communities.”
Market Summit: Insights into Action
Dona Regis-Prosper, Secretary-General and CEO of CTO, stated: “Hosting the 2027 summit in Saint Lucia with a dedicated focus on Latin America will allow us to turn insights into action — identifying new routes, forging partnerships, and delivering tangible benefits for our member countries.”
The event, to be held just before the start of the legendary Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival, is expected to include targeted sessions on route development, market intelligence and partnership-building initiatives.
