CTO names first Caribbean Tourism Intelligence Award winners

The Caribbean Tourism Organization has given its inaugural Caribbean Tourism Intelligence Award to Dr. Dalano DaSouza and Dr. Dennis Mc Call Jr. for research on why Caribbean travelers choose trips outside the region. The award, announced at SOTIC 2026 in Guyana, is meant to push more evidence-based tourism planning across the Caribbean.

Why it matters: - The award spotlights a growing policy problem for Caribbean tourism: more regional residents are choosing international trips instead of traveling within the Caribbean. - CTO says the research can help governments, airlines, tourism bodies and regional institutions keep more tourism spending in the region. - The award also supports CTO’s push to make research and data central to tourism planning across the Caribbean.

What happened: - The Caribbean Tourism Organization named Dr. Dalano DaSouza and Dr. Dennis Mc Call Jr. the first recipients of its Caribbean Tourism Intelligence Award. - CTO announced the 2026 award at its State of the Tourism Industry Conference in Guyana. - Dr. DaSouza accepted the award for the paper, “Decline of the Regional Traveler? Investigating New Factors Driving Substitution of Intra-Caribbean Tourism with International Travel.” - Dr. DaSouza is director of research, statistics and data analytics at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and is from St. Vincent and the Grenadines. - Dr. Mc Call Jr. is a senior lecturer at Teesside University in the U.K. and is from St. Kitts and Nevis.

The details: - The study used survey responses from 1,103 Caribbean nationals across 23 jurisdictions. - The research examined how travel costs, international flight connectivity, visa access, migration and diaspora connections shape destination choices. - The findings show that age, income, education and nationality affect how travelers respond to those factors. - CTO said the study offers evidence-based recommendations for governments, tourism authorities, airlines and regional institutions. - Aliyyah Shakeer, CTO’s director of research, said the region needs research grounded in Caribbean destinations, communities and challenges. - Shakeer said the award is meant to encourage research that can inform policy, planning, investment and decision-making across the tourism sector. - The award recognizes people and organizations whose work supports tourism competitiveness, sustainability, resilience and people development. - The initiative grew from a proposal by CTO Secretary-General and CEO Dona Regis-Prosper ahead of SOTIC 2025 in Barbados. - CTO developed the award with support from the Caribbean Tourism Researchers Network, which operates under the International Tourism Studies Association. - Four independent evaluators reviewed the submissions: Dr. Hugues Séraphin, Dr. Mechelle N. Best, Dr. Pauline A. Milwood and Dr. Therez B. Walker. - CTO did not score or evaluate the entries, and each evaluator worked independently without knowing the identities of the others. - SOTIC 2026 also launched the Caribbean Tourism Research Forum for researchers, policymakers and tourism practitioners. - Conference supporters included Amadeus, the Inter-American Development Bank, ASM Global Route Development, the Association of Value Airlines, Digicel Business, Atlantic Suites Hotel, Carnival Corporation and interCaribbean Airways. - CTO is headquartered in Barbados and positions itself as the Caribbean’s tourism development agency. - CTO’s website is More information.

Between the lines: - The award and the new forum point to CTO trying to build a more formal research ecosystem, not just a one-off recognition program. - The focus on intra-regional travel suggests Caribbean tourism leaders see leakage to overseas destinations as a strategic issue, not only a consumer preference. - The independent judging process appears designed to give the award research credibility and distance it from internal influence.

What’s next: - CTO plans to strengthen links between the research forum and the award. - Shakeer said future editions could create opportunities for researchers to present their work. - CTO wants the award and forum to help build a more connected Caribbean tourism research community. - The longer-term goal is a tourism sector shaped more directly by evidence, shared research and regional collaboration.

The bottom line: - CTO is using its new award to turn tourism research into a practical tool for keeping more Caribbean travelers and spending inside the region.