How Youth Cricket is Helping Grow Sports Tourism in Tobago
How youth cricket is attracting international visitors, supporting local communities and creating lasting tourism benefits for Tobago.
Sports tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the global travel industry, offering destinations an opportunity to diversify their visitor economy while creating lasting benefits for local communities.
Tobago is demonstrating how youth sport can play an important role in achieving exactly that. The 2026 Tobago Trophy marked the second year of the Global Cricket Series (GCS) in Tobago. Built through collaboration between the Tobago Cricket Association, tourism partners and the Global Cricket Series, the event welcomed 10 teams from the UK, USA and across the Caribbean. Around 160 players and coaches travelled to the island, accompanied by a similar number of parents and supporters.
Staying for 9–10 nights, they generated more than 3,000 visitor nights, supporting hotels, restaurants, transport providers, attractions and local businesses throughout their stay.
Beyond the Boundary: Economic Impact on Local Communities
The benefits extend far beyond the cricket field. Families experience Tobago’s beaches, culture and hospitality, while organised excursions and free time encourage visitors to explore the island and contribute directly to the local economy.
For many, it is their first visit to Tobago, creating an opportunity to showcase the destination to a new international audience and encouraging future holidays, repeat visits and word-of-mouth recommendations.
A Digital Legacy: Authentic Marketing Through Player and Family Networks
The event also creates a lasting digital legacy. Players, parents and supporters share thousands of photographs and videos across social media, providing authentic destination marketing that reaches schools, clubs and families around the world.
This genuine visitor advocacy is often more powerful than traditional advertising in inspiring future travel. Importantly, sports tourism also creates opportunities for local people. Tobagonian players gain valuable experience competing against visiting teams, while local coaches, umpires, scorers, volunteers and transport providers all play an important role in delivering the event.
From the Pitch to the Classroom: Grassroots Cricket Development
GCS also delivers coaching sessions in local primary schools, ensuring tourism contributes to grassroots cricket. The opportunities can even be life changing.
Following last year’s tournament, Tobago player Fabrice Lynch secured a scholarship to an independent school in the UK, where he will begin his studies this September. The success of the Tobago model has provided a blueprint for wider regional collaboration. GCS is now working with partners in Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to develop similar youth cricket events that attract international visitors while strengthening local cricket.
Scaling the Model: Expansion to Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent
The inaugural Saint Vincent programme will feature Under-19 boys’ and girls’ competitions, welcoming visiting teams including Sedbergh School, Harry Brook’s former school, Oakham School, where Stuart Broad was educated, Surrey County Cricket Club representative teams for both boys and girls, and a GCS Franchise Team led by former England international and former Leicestershire CCC coach Philip DeFreitas.
As Caribbean destinations continue to diversify their tourism offering, youth sport has the potential to become an increasingly valuable part of the visitor economy.
The Future of Youth Sport in Caribbean Tourism
Tobago’s experience demonstrates how strong partnerships, meaningful visitor experiences and community engagement can deliver benefits that extend well beyond the final day of competition, creating lasting value for tourism, local sport and the wider community.
Author
Chris Berry
CEO, TCA Sports Tours
Founder of the Global Cricket Series, working with destinations across the Caribbean to develop international youth cricket events that drive sports tourism, support local communities and inspire the next generation of cricketers.
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-berry-b676511
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