CTO Opens Caribbean Tourism’s Future to Students With Bold New Leaders Forum at SOTIC 2026

Written By: Tuhin Sarkar

Tuhin Sarkar

Tuhin Sarkar is a Senior Journalist at Travel and Tour World with more than 10 years of experience in travel and tourism journalism. A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Jadavpur University, he combines strong research, industry knowledge and storytelling expertise to produce engaging, insightful and impactful travel news and fascinating feature stories.

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September 1, 2026 5:02 AM |

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The CTO’s Future Leaders Forum gives Caribbean students a stronger role in the region’s tourism future, bringing them into direct conversations with experienced decision-makers at SOTIC 2026. Its town hall format, live polling, open questioning and Legacy Wall are designed to move youth participation beyond observation towards genuine contribution and commitment.

The timing is significant because Caribbean travel and tourism are confronting climate risks, rapid technological change, evolving visitor expectations and persistent workforce needs. By connecting education with industry realities, the initiative can help students understand careers, entrepreneurship and destination management while giving established leaders access to new perspectives.

The wider value will be measured by what follows the conference: stronger professional skills, new ideas, practical partnerships and a more resilient, sustainable and inclusive tourism sector across the Caribbean for the next generation of destinations, businesses and communities and regional economies over time, creating lasting value for destinations and residents.

Caribbean Tourism Gets a Youth Power Shift as CTO Launches the Future Leaders Forum at SOTIC 2026, putting students centre stage and giving tomorrow’s travel leaders a voice in shaping tourism today!

Caribbean Tourism Gets a Youth Power Shift as CTO Launches the Future Leaders Forum at SOTIC 2026, creating a stage for students to question decision-makers and influence tourism priorities. The forum brings young voices into a Caribbean tourism debate at a crucial moment, as destinations respond to climate change, technology, workforce pressures and evolving traveller expectations. By connecting students with government, business, academia and community representatives, the CTO is turning the Future Leaders Forum into a practical bridge between education and industry. This approach can strengthen travel careers, encourage entrepreneurship and ensure tomorrow’s tourism leaders understand both opportunity and responsibility

The Caribbean Tourism Organization is putting young people at the centre of the region’s tourism conversation with its inaugural Future Leaders Forum at SOTIC 2026 in Guyana, giving students a platform to question decision-makers and influence the sector’s direction. The initiative comes as travel and tourism face rapid change from climate risks, technology, shifting visitor expectations and workforce pressures, making youth participation increasingly important to the region’s long-term competitiveness.

A New Forum for Tourism’s Future

The forum will be held on Monday, 5 October, from 10am to 11.30am, before the State of the Tourism Industry Conference programme begins in Georgetown. Its theme, “From the Classroom to the Caribbean: Conversations with Tourism Leaders”, reflects an interactive town hall approach designed to replace passive listening with questions, debate and direct exchanges between students and experienced tourism professionals.

The initiative supports SOTIC 2026’s theme, “Tourism Futures: Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive”, while bringing younger voices into discussions normally dominated by senior industry stakeholders. Students will explore how climate change, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, biodiversity, community tourism, destination management and workforce development could reshape Caribbean travel and tourism during the next decade.

Students Take the Lead

Narendra Ramgulam, CTO’s deputy director of sustainable tourism, will moderate the session, while secretary-general and CEO Dona Regis-Prosper will open the forum and highlight the organisation’s commitment to preparing future tourism leaders. Ramgulam has encouraged students to challenge speakers, raise difficult questions and explain what they want Caribbean tourism to look like, ensuring the event functions as a dialogue rather than a conventional lecture.

The programme will start with a live audience poll on issues participants believe will influence Caribbean tourism over the next decade, followed by a “Town Hall Kickstarter” featuring representatives from government, the private sector, academia and communities. Each leader will answer one question about the major challenge the next generation must solve, creating a wide-ranging discussion about the future of travel and tourism.

From Dialogue to Action

The forum will then move into an “Ask Me Anything: Caribbean Tourism Edition”, giving students the opportunity to lead conversations about careers, entrepreneurship, technology, climate resilience, community development and the future of the travel economy. That format can help young participants understand the practical realities of tourism careers while allowing established leaders to hear concerns and ideas that may not always reach formal policy or business discussions.

A central feature will be the Caribbean Tourism Legacy Wall, where participants complete the statement, “My legacy for Caribbean tourism will be …” and publicly record their commitments. Regis-Prosper will be invited to make the first pledge, followed by tourism leaders and students, creating a link between established expertise and the ambitions of the next generation.

Why It Matters

SOTIC 2026 will run from 5 to 9 October in Georgetown, bringing together tourism ministers, commissioners, directors, private-sector executives, specialists, media and other regional and international stakeholders. The Future Leaders Forum adds a dimension by connecting those strategic conversations with the students who may eventually shape policy, operate tourism businesses, manage destinations and build the next generation of Caribbean travel products.

The Wider Tourism Impact

Ultimately, the CTO’s new forum positions youth engagement as an investment in the future of Caribbean tourism, rather than another conference feature. Its lasting value will depend on whether the conversations in Georgetown translate into new careers, businesses, partnerships and practical solutions that make Caribbean travel more resilient, inclusive and sustainable.

Anup Kumar Keshan, Editor-in-Chief, Travel And Tour World, said:

“The Caribbean tourism industry is entering a period in which innovation, resilience and inclusion will determine how destinations compete and how communities benefit. By placing students and emerging professionals in the centre of SOTIC 2026, the Caribbean Tourism Organization is making a clear investment in ideas, ambition and leadership that can carry the region forward. The Future Leaders Forum is genuinely valuable because it turns young people from an audience into contributors, while encouraging established tourism leaders to listen, respond and rethink. This intergenerational dialogue can meaningfully strengthen travel, tourism and workforce development across the Caribbean for years to come.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Future Leaders Forum?
It is a new CTO initiative connecting students and emerging professionals with tourism leaders through an interactive town hall.

When is it being held?
The forum is scheduled for 5 October 2026, from 10am to 11.30am, in Georgetown, Guyana.

What will students discuss?
Topics include climate resilience, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, biodiversity, community tourism, careers and workforce development.

What is the Legacy Wall?
Participants will publicly complete “My legacy for Caribbean tourism will be …” and record their commitments.