CTO provides an important forum for those interested in developing, improving and promoting the Caribbean tourism product.
The primary objective of the Caribbean Tourism Organization is to provide to and through its members the services and information necessary for the development of sustainable tourism for the economic and social benefit of the Caribbean people by:
• providing an instrument for close collaboration in tourism among the various territories, countries and other interests concerned;
• developing and promoting regional travel and tourism programs to and within the Caribbean;
• providing members with opportunities to market their products more effectively to both the Caribbean and the international tourism marketplaces;
• assisting member countries, particularly the smaller member countries with minimal promotional budgets, to maximize their marketing impact through the collective CTO forum;
• carrying out advertising, promotions, publicity and information services calculated to focus the attention of the public upon the Caribbean as one of the world’s outstanding tourist destinations;
• providing a liaison for tourism matters between member countries;
• providing a sound body of knowledge on tourism through data collection, collation and research;
• creating processes and systems for disseminating and sharing tourism information;
• providing advice, technical assistance and consultancy services with respect to tourism;
• providing training and education for Caribbean nationals and for international travel agents;
• seeking to maximize the contribution of tourism to the economic development of member countries and the Caribbean through programs likely to increase foreign exchange earnings, increase employment, strengthen linkages between tourism and other economic sector like manufacturing and agriculture, and to reduce leakages from Caribbean economies;
• encouraging coordination with respect to research and planning and the efficient allocation of local, regional and international resources at both government and non-governmental levels in tourism development;
• researching and identifying the ecological effects of tourism with a view to recommending and /or initiating action aimed at minimizing the negative and enhancing the positive effects;
• promoting the consciousness of the need to preserve both the natural and man-made beauty of the Caribbean environment and demonstrating its direct relationship to the development of an attractive tourism product;
• developing a tourism product which is essentially Caribbean and which, through maximizing economic benefits, has minimal adverse social and psychological effects on the integrity of Caribbean peoples;
• encouraging the recognition of tourism as a mode of education in Caribbean life and encouraging the study of tourism in its fullest aspect with the Caribbean curricula;
• providing fora where hotel and other tourism interests in the Caribbean may meet with Caribbean Governments for the discussion of issues of common interest;
• helping members and tourism interests in the Caribbean to develop tourism policies which are consistent with the development of tourism in the Caribbean;
• providing advice to member governments on legislation and policy formation which may affect the development of the tourism industry within the region;
• negotiating with governments, regional and international agencies either directly, indirectly, or through the appropriate agencies or bodies, and with such groups as may be considered necessary, on behalf of members of the organization to increase the human and financial resources of CTO in the interest of the peoples of the Caribbean;
• seeking to ensure that Caribbean tourism is fully used for the development of the Caribbean peoples.
CTO provides its members with the opportunity to:
• meet and network with decision makers of Caribbean Tourism including Ministers and Directors of Tourism, and National Tourist Office representatives,
• be recognized as “preferred partners” to have their services utilized by CTO and its members,
• meet with tourism executives in the private sector-hoteliers, media, airlines and cruise lines, tour operators and travel agents,
• be represented on the CTO Board of Directors and to elect their representatives,
• participate in the Annual General Meeting, the annual Caribbean Tourism Conference and the annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism, at special rates,
• receive market intelligence and industry trends information from CTO -which keeps members abreast of statistical developments in Caribbean tourism and provides helpful marketing information,
• gain access to research, statistical and other select publications
• gain access to CTO’s Website and Intranet communications channels,
• have access to current discussions and trends that relate to Caribbean travel,
• have access to thousands of travel agents who are pre-qualified to sell the Caribbean tourism product through the CTO Chapters.
CTO also functions as the Regional Authorizing Agency for several regional tourism aid programs and therefore acts as a central coordinating body and an instrument of negotiation for a number of major programs. CTO has close working relationships and has collaborated with the following organizations:
Association of Caribbean States (ACS)
Caribbean Commonwealth Secretariat (CARICOM)
Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)
Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA)
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Caribbean/Latin America Action (CLAA)
DEVCO (Netherlands Antilles)
European Union (EU)
Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
International Development Research Center (IDRC)
Inter-American Foundation (IAF)
Organization of American States (OAS)
Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)
Ryerson Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
University of the West Indies (UWI)
US Agency for International Development (USAID)
World Tourism Organization (WTO)
World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)
World Bank