Billy Griffith Returns to Lead CTO Allied Board

Caribbean tourism is often discussed in terms of governments, ministers and national tourism boards. Much of what actually reaches travelers, from flights and cruise calls to hiring and booking technology, depends on the private companies and consultants working alongside those agencies. This month, the organization that coordinates the region’s tourism agenda chose the people who will represent that business community for the next two years.

William “Billy” Griffith has been reelected chair of the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) Allied Board. He will lead a five-member team for the 2026-2028 term. The group brings together experience in destination marketing, workforce development, cruise operations and travel technology, four areas that increasingly determine how competitive a Caribbean destination can be.

Why the CTO Allied Board matters

For readers unfamiliar with the structure, the CTO is the Caribbean’s regional tourism development agency. (It was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Barbados, with government and private-sector members across the region.) Its Allied Board is the body that speaks for the organization’s non-government members.

According to the announcement, the Allied Board represents allied members’ interests on CTO’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee. It also recommends regional tourism programs, helps grow the organization’s non-government membership, and coordinates activities that connect allied members with government members at major CTO events.

That last function is easy to overlook, but it is central to how regional tourism works. Policy set by ministries only works if airlines, tour operators, cruise lines, technology providers and consultants can act on it. A well-run allied board connects the two sides.

The election, and where it happened

The vote took place Oct. 6, during the CTO’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) in Guyana. SOTIC is where the region’s tourism leaders take stock of performance and priorities. Holding the election there put the new board in front of the people it will work with.

Guyana is a notable host. It is not the typical beach-resort Caribbean destination, and the setting reflects how broad the CTO’s membership and conversation have become.

Meet the 2026-2028 board

Billy Griffith (chair). Griffith, managing director of WCG Consulting Ltd., returns to the chair with more than four decades of tourism and hospitality experience. He is chairman of the Bermuda Tourism Authority and previously served as Bermuda’s director of tourism and as CEO of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. Having led marketing and promotion for two island destinations that compete for the same travelers gives him a useful, practical view of what works.

Danny Cohanpour (returning member). Cohanpour is founder and CEO of Trove Tourism Development Advisors, and his work spans tourism marketing and destination development. During his previous term, he launched the Allied Member Insights Series to increase knowledge sharing and engagement. Continuity matters on a board like this, and that initiative gives him a track record to build on.

Amrita Bhalla (new). Bhalla is managing director of A.B Consulting and brings more than two decades of human resources and hospitality leadership experience, focused on workforce development and talent strategy. Staffing is a persistent pressure point for hospitality businesses everywhere, and her appointment suggests the board will treat it as a core issue.

Joseph Boschulte (new). Boschulte is president and CEO of The West Indian Company Ltd. (WICO) and a former U.S. Virgin Islands tourism commissioner. He combines destination leadership with experience in cruise port operations. Cruise tourism is a major force for many Caribbean economies, and a board member who has worked on both the government and port sides can speak to both.

Christos Shepherd (new). Shepherd is founder and CEO of The Visitor Card LLC. He previously served as chief commercial officer of JetBlue Travel Products, where he was responsible for the commercial performance of JetBlue Vacations. That background brings airline and package-travel experience, two areas that shape how visitors find and book Caribbean trips.

What the leadership says

CTO Secretary-General and CEO Dona Regis-Prosper congratulated the new board and framed its purpose in practical terms. “A strong allied membership connects CTO’s regional priorities with the skills and resources needed to advance them,” she said. She added that the team “brings complementary perspectives that will support our work to strengthen Caribbean tourism, develop our people and expand opportunities through public-private collaboration.”

The emphasis on “complementary perspectives” is borne out by the roster. Marketing, HR, cruise operations and travel commerce are different disciplines, and they cover much of the traveler journey from inspiration to booking, arrival and service on the ground.

A story about board elections can seem far removed from planning a trip, but the link is real, even if indirect.

• Workforce quality: Service is what travelers remember about a destination. Talent strategy is not glamorous, but it shapes the experience at the front desk, on the tour boat and in the restaurant. With a human resources specialist on the board, workforce development is likely to stay on the agenda.
• Access and booking: Airlines, packages and booking platforms determine how easy and affordable a destination is to reach. Shepherd’s JetBlue Vacations background brings direct commercial experience to that conversation.
• Cruise and port strategy: Port operations affect crowding, visitor spending and the balance between cruise and stay-over tourism. Boschulte’s WICO and U.S. Virgin Islands experience bears directly on those trade-offs.
• Destination marketing: Griffith’s record in Bermuda and Barbados, and Cohanpour’s destination development work, keep marketing expertise at the center of the board.

A regional model, with a caveat

Caribbean destinations compete with one another for visitors, yet they also benefit from a shared regional brand and shared challenges, including air connectivity, talent retention and climate-related disruption. The CTO exists to balance those realities, and the Allied Board gives the private sector a formal route into that effort.

A caveat is in order. The announcement describes the board’s responsibilities and the members’ backgrounds, but it does not set out specific programs or targets for the 2026-2028 term. Whether this team delivers measurable results will become clear over time. The Allied Member Insights Series from Cohanpour’s last term is one concrete example of the kind of engagement initiative the board can produce, and the new term will show whether others follow.

The CTO has put together a board that covers the disciplines most likely to shape Caribbean tourism over the next two years: marketing, people, ports and distribution. If the team follows through on public-private collaboration, travelers could see the effects in better-trained staff, stronger air and package links, and a more coordinated regional story.

For now, Griffith’s reelection signals stability at the top of the allied membership, while three new members bring fresh expertise in HR, cruise and travel commerce. The 2026-2028 term will show how well that mix works in practice.

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