Caribbean hotel leaders urge urgent commitment to sustainable tourism

MIAMI--The survival of Caribbean tourism is tied directly to the region’s environment. Rising seas, intensifying hurricanes, and soaring energy costs are no longer distant threats but everyday realities for economies built on travel. On World Tourism Day 2025, regional hotel leaders are sending a clear message: sustainability must move from the margins to the center of Caribbean tourism strategy.

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), together with its environmental partner the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST), used the day to press governments, businesses, and communities to take bold steps toward a tourism industry that is both resilient and responsible. This year’s global theme, “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation,” is, they stressed, more than a slogan. For the Caribbean, it represents both a challenge and a commitment to create a model of tourism that balances economic growth with environmental stewardship.

“The Caribbean stands at a crossroads as the world’s most tourism-dependent and one of its most climate-vulnerable regions,” said CHTA President Sanovnik Destang. “Our prosperity depends on strong ecosystems, resilient societies, and reliable energy systems. If tourism is to remain a positive force, we must rethink how we generate energy, manage development, and protect the natural assets that define our islands.”

Earlier this year, on Earth Day, CHTA launched a campaign calling on the industry to adopt clean energy, cut inefficiencies, and invest in climate-ready infrastructure. The urgency is underscored by World Travel & Tourism Council data showing that just 2.3 percent of energy used in Caribbean tourism currently comes from renewable sources. CHTA and CAST are now intensifying calls for governments to reform outdated energy policies, open markets to competition, and speed up investment in renewable solutions.

Saint Lucia has recently been highlighted as a positive example, with its national Hospitality and Tourism Association pushing for stronger renewable energy measures in the draft Electricity Act. In Dominica, a major geothermal project has reached financial close with backing from the Caribbean Development Bank, promising reliable, sustainable power that reduces dependence on imported fuels. Elsewhere, properties in Aruba, Barbados, and the Cayman Islands are adopting solar grids, battery storage, and water-saving systems to cut costs and environmental impacts.

CHTA and CAST also stress the importance of building on initiatives like the Caribbean Hotel Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Action Program, developed in partnership with the Caribbean Tourism Organization and supported by the Inter-American Development Bank. Programs that combine training, awareness, and recognition of best practices, they argue, are essential for lasting sector-wide transformation.

Marking World Tourism Day, the two organizations called on policymakers, private sector leaders, and communities to collaborate in creating frameworks that allow hotels, tour operators, and households alike to join the clean energy transition. With the right partnerships and forward-looking policies, the Caribbean can safeguard its position as a world-class travel destination while also setting the standard for sustainable tourism worldwide.

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