Barbados to Welcome Global Tourism Leaders

SOTIC, The Caribbean’s Premier Tourism Forum to Take Place in Bridgetown

This year’s conference, which is being presented by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) in collaboration with Barbados’ Ministry of Tourism and International Transport and Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), will be held under the theme, “Reimagining Caribbean Tourism: Research, Relevance and the Road Ahead.”

Barbados’ Minister of Tourism and International Transport and Chairman of the CTO’s Council of Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism, the Hon. Ian Gooding-Edghill, underscores the strategic significance of the event:

“Barbados is not only honoured and proud to have this prestigious conference in our midst but is also fully ready to play its part in advancing and realising its significant theme, “Reimagining Caribbean Tourism: Research, Relevance and the Road Ahead. A theme that rightly highlights the unquestionable need for up-to-date data-driven analysis and decision-making that leads to actionable and realisable strategies and collaboration. All of this is needed to secure our region’s competitiveness, and the long-term sustainable prosperity of all our people. Barbados’ keenness in exploring this theme is sharpened by the fact that, at the local level, it helps to advance a more enlightened approach that I have championed publicly, and privately, and worked hard to make this the basis of our day-to-day approach to managing and further developing, this all-important area of national activity.”

For 2025, the program introduces deeper exploration of emerging growth sectors including:

• Sports Tourism
• Medical Tourism
• Health and Wellness Experiences

These new areas of focus reflect shifting traveller demands and the region’s commitment to diversifying its offerings, attracting broader markets, and strengthening economic resilience. Barbados’ Minister of Tourism and CTO Chairman further emphasized, “I urge as many people as possible, drawn not only from the tourism industry, but also from commerce, academia and related sectors to seek exposure to the content of the proceedings of SOTIC 2025 in Barbados.”

The conference will also host the Regional Tourism Youth Congress, where Junior Ministers of Tourism from across CTO member states, will present innovative ideas on the future of regional tourism. Barbados will be represented by Ms. Techinnah Yacinthe, a 17-year-old student at The Lodge School.

For further details on SOTIC 2025 registration, accommodation, and sponsorship opportunities available, visit www.onecaribbean.org/sotic-2025.

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The island of Barbados is a Caribbean gem rich in cultural, heritage, sporting, culinary and eco experiences. It is surrounded by idyllic white sand beaches and is the only coral island in the Caribbean. With over 400 restaurants and eateries, Barbados is the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean and home to the Caribbean’s Best Culinary Festival, the Barbados Food and Rum Festival. The island is also known as the birthplace of rum, commercially producing and bottling the finest blends since the 1700s.

The island also hosts events like the annual Crop Over Festival, where A-lists celebrities like our very own Rihanna are often spotted, and the annual Run Barbados Marathon, the largest marathon in the Caribbean. As the motorsport island, it is home to the leading circuit-racing facility in the English-speaking Caribbean. Known as a sustainable destination, Barbados won the Green Destinations Story Award for Environment and Climate in 2023 and was listed as one of the Best World Travel Destinations for 2025 by National Geographic. Accommodations on the island are wide and varied, ranging from picturesque private villas to quaint boutique hotels, cozy Airbnbs, prestigious international chains and award-winning five-diamond resorts. Travelling to this paradise is a breeze as the Grantley Adams International Airport offers a variety non-stop and direct services from growing U.S., U.K., Canadian, Caribbean, European, and Latin American gateways. Arriving by ship is also easy as Barbados is a marquee port with calls from the world’s best cruise and luxury liners. So, it’s about time that you Visit Barbados and experience all that this 166-square-mile isle has to offer.

For more information on travel to Barbados, visit www.visitbarbados.org, follow on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/VisitBarbados, and via Twitter @Barbados.