Antigua and Barbuda to Host SOTIC 2027

The island nation will welcome the Caribbean’s top tourism gathering next year. Its tourism minister wants the region to use the moment to talk about airfare taxes, sustainability and who actually benefits from visitor spending. When a traveler says they’re “going to the Caribbean,” they usually picture one place. That shorthand frustrates the people who run the region’s tourism industry, and it was the starting point when Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism minister explained why his country is hosting SOTIC 2027.

The twin-island nation will stage the 2027 State of the Tourism Industry Conference, the flagship event of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). It will be the conference’s first edition in Antigua and Barbuda and its return to a destination within the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). The news came from Minister of Tourism, Investment, Transportation and Aviation Charles “Max” Fernandez, who spoke with Tripcast360 Media at SOTIC 2026 in Georgetown, Guyana.

Why SOTIC matters beyond the conference room

SOTIC is the CTO’s main forum for debating where Caribbean tourism is headed. The 2026 edition in Georgetown (October 5–9) was the first time Guyana hosted the event, and it was expected to bring together hundreds of tourism leaders, policymakers, youth representatives and journalists. The previous edition was held in Barbados under the theme “Reimagining Caribbean Tourism: Research, Relevance and the Road Ahead.”

The rotating host model is part of the appeal. The conference moves from island to island, and each host gets international attention it couldn’t easily buy with a marketing budget. Guyana used its turn to promote its growing meetings-and-incentives ambitions. Antigua and Barbuda, which has a long-established resort sector, is likely to use its turn to make a different case.

Fernandez made that case directly. Even though the islands are small, he said, each one is distinct, and hosting in rotation lets visiting media and industry stakeholders see that for themselves. He also said Barbuda has its own character, separate from Antigua, even though the two form a single destination.

A political agenda: airfare taxes and tougher conversations

Fernandez also stressed that SOTIC should lead to action. He wants the 2027 edition to strengthen cooperation between tourism ministers and the political leaders who decide what that cooperation costs, namely prime ministers, presidents and finance ministers.

His most concrete proposal was a review of taxes on airline tickets, particularly in summer. The idea is that lower taxes could stimulate travel in a season with strong growth potential for Caribbean destinations. He pointed out that governments used incentives to restart tourism during the COVID-19 crisis, and argued that similar policy discussions deserve a place at the table now.

This is a sensitive topic because the region depends heavily on air access. Most visitors arrive by plane, and what they pay to get there is a big part of how they weigh a Caribbean trip against alternatives. Ticket taxes are also revenue that governments budget for, so any proposal to cut them requires finance ministries to agree, which is why Fernandez wants them in the conversation. It’s an ambitious ask, and the real test will be whether it moves from conference rhetoric to regional policy.

Fernandez also tied his comments to the CTO’s Reimagine campaign, which runs from 2025 to 2027, and said he is committed to working with the organization’s Secretary-General on it.

His role matters here. Antigua and Barbuda has taken the chairmanship of the CTO, with Fernandez elected chairman of the CTO Council of Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism in Georgetown, while Colin James, CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, assumes the chairmanship at Board level. In practical terms, the country will be shaping the regional agenda in the same period it hosts the flagship conference.

The beach is just the beginning

Asked what sets his country apart, Fernandez offered a line that reads like a tourism slogan but holds up when you look at what he listed: “The beach is just the beginning.”

His examples included:

• Barbuda’s beaches. He cited Princess Diana Beach, known for long stretches of pink sand.
• Coral reef restoration. He pointed to ongoing initiatives, a focus that fits the country’s marine-based tourism.
• The frigate bird sanctuary. Barbuda’s sanctuary is home to one of the largest frigate bird colonies in the Western Hemisphere.
• Historic caves. Barbuda’s caves preserve thousands of years of history and Indigenous heritage.
• Redonda. Conservation work on the island has helped protect threatened species and rehabilitate its ecosystem.

For travelers, this is the more interesting part of the story. Antigua is widely known for its beaches (it is often promoted as having one for every day of the year), but the minister’s list steers visitors toward birdwatching, history and conservation. The Caribbean’s competition for travelers increasingly turns on this kind of experience rather than sand and sun alone.

Protecting reefs, protecting the product

Sustainability was a recurring thread. Fernandez said the government is advancing measures to restrict sunscreens that harm coral reefs and marine life. Reef-safe rules have become a familiar tool among island destinations, and for Antigua and Barbuda the logic is simple: the reefs and marine life are part of what visitors pay to see.

SOTIC 2026 was framed around smart and sustainable tourism, so the minister’s emphasis fits a regional trend. The question for 2027 is whether the conversation gets more specific, with measurable commitments rather than general support for sustainability.

Higher-value tourism, and who benefits

Fernandez said Antigua and Barbuda wants to move toward higher-value tourism development that is more resilient to rising energy costs and environmental challenges. His argument is that higher-end properties can support better wages and working conditions for local employees, spreading the economic benefits more widely.

That position invites a fair debate, because “luxury” and “community benefit” don’t always go together. Critics of upscale resort development across the region often argue that profits and procurement leak out of local economies. Fernandez’s framing puts the burden of proof on the model: it only works if the jobs and wages are real.

He also acknowledged that not every traveler wants or can afford a luxury stay. He said the destination offers roughly 1,800 short-term rental properties, ranging from affordable to high-end, and that this segment has grown in importance since the pandemic. For visitors, that means a wider choice of price points than the high-end focus might suggest.

Antigua and Barbuda isn’t new to hosting regional industry gatherings. Barbados’s tourism minister, speaking at the closing ceremony of the 44th Caribbean Travel Marketplace in Antigua and Barbuda, praised Fernandez and the organizers for hosting both the 43rd and 44th editions of the event. That major regional trade event (organized by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association) was held there in consecutive years, giving the country recent experience with large delegations, which should help as it prepares for SOTIC.

The significance of SOTIC 2027 will depend on what comes out of it. The ingredients are all there: a host that also holds the CTO’s leadership, a minister with a stated agenda on airfare taxes and value-driven tourism, and a regional strategy.

For travelers, the effects will be indirect but real. Airfare policy, reef protection rules and the balance between luxury and independent accommodation all end up shaping prices, experiences and what’s left of the places people come to see. For Antigua and Barbuda, the conference is a chance to show that a small destination can lead the regional conversation as well as host it.

The details are still to come. When they arrive, the real measure will be whether discussions among ministers translate into decisions by the people who control budgets and tax policy.

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