Caribbean Tourism Demand Study in Universities Could Reshape Your Next Caribbean Vacation

Written By: Sarannya Acharya

Sarannya Acharya

Sarannya Acharya is a content writer with a strong academic and professional background in media and communication. She holds an M.Sc in Media Science and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Swami Vivekananda University, Barrackpore, with a specialization in Advertising. With over three years of experience in content writing, she brings a blend of research-driven insight and creative storytelling to her work. Alongside her professional role, she is actively engaged in academics, contributing to the field through teaching and scholarly involvement. Her expertise lies in crafting well-structured, engaging, and informative content, supported by a solid foundation in media theory and practical industry knowledge.

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August 13, 2026 2:46 AM

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The Caribbean Tourism Demand Study could reshape your next Caribbean vacation, while changing how Caribbean tourism serves travelers. The new research will examine visitor demand, tourism spending and opportunities for stronger local sourcing across at least six Caribbean destinations. Caribbean Tourism Demand Study findings could influence future travel experiences, from local food and cultural activities to island-made products. Meanwhile, Caribbean vacation choices could become more closely connected with local communities and businesses. Travel And Tour World urges travelers to read the entire story because this Caribbean tourism research may reveal important changes ahead. The study could ultimately make Caribbean travel more locally connected and memorable for global tourists.

Caribbean Tourism Enters a New Research Phase

A major Caribbean tourism demand study is set to examine how visitor spending can create greater value for destinations and local communities.

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) has selected Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management to lead the research.

The six-month study will examine at least six Caribbean jurisdictions. Researchers will measure tourism demand, economic leakages and opportunities for greater local sourcing.

The project comes as tourism continues to dominate many Caribbean economies.

According to the announcement, the region welcomed an estimated 35 million stayover visitors in 2025. Visitor spending was estimated to exceed US$40 billion.

That spending creates major demand for food, beverages, manufactured products, entertainment and other tourism services.

What the Study Will Investigate

The research will look beyond visitor arrival numbers.

FIU researchers will assess the existing and potential demand generated by hotels, restaurants, cruise operators, attractions and tour operators.

They will examine agricultural products, manufactured goods, entertainment services and other inputs required by tourism businesses.

Researchers will also map supply chains linking tourism companies with domestic producers and regional trade networks.

Another major objective will be identifying where tourism spending leaves Caribbean economies.

The study will estimate these economic leakages by product and service category.

It will then examine whether Caribbean suppliers have the capacity to meet more of the industry’s demand.

Why This Matters to Travelers

For tourists, the research could eventually influence the experiences available across Caribbean destinations.

Greater local sourcing could create more opportunities to enjoy locally grown food and regional cuisine.

Travelers could also encounter more island-made products, locally developed entertainment and community-based experiences.

That could make future Caribbean holidays feel more connected to the destinations themselves.

Instead of tourism spending flowing primarily toward imported goods, more demand could support farmers, manufacturers, artisans and creative businesses.

The result could be a stronger connection between the visitor economy and everyday Caribbean life.

Agriculture, Manufacturing and Culture Take Center Stage

Agriculture is one of the key sectors being examined.

Food represents a major requirement for hotels, restaurants and other tourism businesses.

The study will determine where opportunities exist to increase sourcing from Caribbean farmers and agricultural suppliers.

Manufacturing will receive similar attention.

Researchers will investigate demand for products that could potentially be supplied by regional manufacturers.

The creative economy is another important component.

Entertainment, cultural activities and creative businesses can give visitors distinctive experiences while creating additional economic opportunities for residents.

CHTA says the research is intended to strengthen connections between tourism and these sectors.

A Multi-Destination Approach

At least six jurisdictions will participate in the study.

The destinations will represent different tourism environments, including large all-inclusive markets, cruise-focused destinations, boutique markets and specialty tourism destinations.

This approach should allow researchers to compare different tourism structures.

It can also help identify solutions that may work across several destinations rather than benefiting only one island.

National hotel and tourism associations and regional institutions will participate during the research process.

How FIU Will Conduct the Research

The research team will combine tourism, trade and investment data with field research.

Surveys will involve hotels, restaurants, cruise operators, attractions and tour operators.

Researchers will also interview government ministries, suppliers and investor groups.

FIU plans to use simulation modelling to extrapolate information from participating businesses.

This will help produce national and regional estimates of tourism demand and spending patterns.

The university’s Chaplin School has significant hospitality research capabilities. FIU describes the school as one of the world’s leading hospitality programs and reports students from 72 countries.

What Happens After the Research

The findings are expected to support policy, investment and trade recommendations.

CHTA plans to distribute the final report, executive summary and policy briefs to members and regional stakeholders.

Governments and development partners will also receive the findings.

The objective is to turn the research into practical strategies for strengthening local and regional tourism connections.

For travelers, the most interesting outcome could be a Caribbean tourism model where more visitor spending supports the places people come to explore.

As the study develops, future visitors could see greater emphasis on local cuisine, Caribbean products, cultural experiences and community participation.

The research therefore represents more than an economic exercise.

It could help shape a more locally connected Caribbean travel experience, where tourism growth creates stronger opportunities for the people and businesses behind each destination.

Universities Around the World Studying Tourism Demand, Economic Impact and Local Destination Development

The new Caribbean tourism demand study involving Florida International University comes at a time when universities worldwide are increasingly treating tourism as a major economic, social and policy research field.

These institutions are examining how visitors make travel decisions, how tourism spending moves through local economies, how destinations can forecast demand and how communities can retain more of the economic benefits generated by tourism.

For Caribbean destinations, this wider academic landscape offers useful comparisons. The research approaches used elsewhere could help explain how visitor demand can translate into stronger local businesses, employment, cultural experiences and destination development.

Universities Conducting Comparable Tourism Research

University of Surrey, United Kingdom

The University of Surrey has developed substantial expertise in tourism economics and demand analysis. Its Centre for Competitiveness of the Visitor Economy specifically identifies tourism demand, economic impact, forecasting, competitiveness and visitor-economy modelling among its research themes.

Researchers at Surrey have examined how tourism demand moves between countries and how economic shocks can influence international visitor flows. One study developed a global vector autoregressive model covering tourism demand across 24 major countries. The approach is particularly relevant to destinations such as Caribbean islands because tourism markets are interconnected. A disruption in one major source market can influence travel demand elsewhere.

Surrey researchers have also examined tourism’s economic contribution and the methods used to measure it. Their work demonstrates why visitor arrivals alone cannot fully explain tourism’s economic value. Spending patterns, destination characteristics and wider economic relationships also matter.

Hong Kong Polytechnic University

The School of Hotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is another major centre for tourism economics research.

Its researchers have investigated tourism demand forecasting, tourist expenditure, economic impacts and the relationship between tourism and destination economies. Research comparing tourism-demand measurements has examined both visitor arrivals and tourist expenditure, demonstrating that different indicators can produce different insights into market behaviour.

PolyU researchers have also studied tourism’s economic impact on Small Island Developing States. One study compared seven SIDS using input-output analysis, linkage analysis and computable general equilibrium modelling. It found that tourism can generate substantial economic activity while the amount of income retained locally may remain comparatively limited.

That research has direct relevance to the Caribbean, where many destinations share characteristics with other small island economies.

Griffith University, Australia

Griffith University operates the Griffith Institute for Tourism, one of Australia’s largest dedicated tourism research institutes. Its research covers visitor-economy analytics, resilient tourism, climate issues, events and sustainable destination development. The institute has more than 130 academic, adjunct and PhD members connected with tourism and related disciplines.

Its economic and visitor statistics research includes tourism forecasting, demand modelling, economic impact assessments, Tourism Satellite Accounts and cost-benefit analysis. Researchers also analyse visitor behaviour using large datasets and support destination planning.

Griffith has also conducted regional economic assessments. In one Western Downs study, researchers calculated visitor numbers, tourism expenditure, tourism-related gross value added and employment. Such regional analysis demonstrates how visitor spending can be connected to broader economic outcomes.

Florida International University

Florida International University is particularly relevant because its Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management has been selected to conduct the new Caribbean study.

The project differs from a conventional tourism-demand forecast because it is designed to examine demand alongside economic leakages and local sourcing opportunities.

The research will involve at least six Caribbean jurisdictions and investigate potential connections between tourism and agriculture, manufacturing and creative industries.

That combination makes the project especially significant for island destinations. The objective is not simply to understand how many tourists arrive, but how tourism demand can create stronger regional economic connections.

Why These University Studies Matter for Travelers

Academic tourism research can eventually influence the practical experience of visitors.

Demand forecasting can help destinations prepare for changing visitor patterns. Economic-impact studies can identify where tourism creates employment and business opportunities. Local-sourcing research can encourage stronger links between hotels, restaurants, farmers, manufacturers and creative enterprises.

For travelers, these connections can translate into more locally produced food, cultural experiences and destination-specific products.

The Caribbean study therefore fits into a much wider international movement in tourism research.

Universities are increasingly using economic modelling, visitor data, forecasting, surveys and destination analysis to understand tourism beyond simple arrival statistics.

For Caribbean travelers, the most important question may ultimately be whether this research helps destinations convert visitor demand into stronger local economies and more distinctive experiences.

The answer will depend on how governments, tourism businesses and communities use the evidence produced by the research.

But the international university landscape already shows that tourism demand is no longer viewed simply as a question of visitor numbers. It is increasingly being studied as a complex economic system connecting travelers with businesses, communities, governments and local supply chains.