Jamaica pushes regional logistics hub

Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett used a Caribbean Tourism Organization committee meeting in Antigua this week to press for a regional tourism logistics hub aimed at keeping more visitor spending inside the Caribbean. The proposal was advanced at a Tuesday meeting of the CTO’s new Tourism Supply-Side Committee at Sandals Antigua, according to Jamaica’s tourism ministry and the Jamaica Observer. The push comes with backing for technical work from the Inter-American Development Bank and expressions of support from the World Bank, the reports said. Bartlett, who chairs the committee, said the region needs coordinated action to reduce dependence on imported goods and external supply chains. ### Why is Jamaica raising this now? Tuesday’s meeting in Antigua was the first prominent public sign that the CTO’s new supply-side committee is moving from appointment to execution. Bartlett was named chair of the committee in December 2025 after CTO member countries agreed to expand the region’s focus on stronger tourism linkages, according to Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism. The committee includes representatives from Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, St. (jamaicaobserver.com) Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Bartlett has framed the initiative as an effort to shift more tourism value into Caribbean agriculture, manufacturing and creative industries. In the ministry statement announcing his appointment, he said the committee was about moving “from leakage to linkage” so that more of each tourism dollar stays in the region. ### What problem is the logistics hub meant to solve? The Jamaica Observer reported that tourism contributes between 15% and 60% of gross domestic product across Caribbean nations, but the region retains less than 20 cents of every tourism dollar earned. (mot.gov.jm) The article attributed that gap to heavy reliance on imported goods and external supply chains used to meet visitor demand. Bartlett said the supply-side push is meant to counter the idea that tourism functions mainly as an enclave industry. “Owning and strengthening the tourism supply-side is fundamental,” he said, arguing that the Caribbean should not only host visitors but also capture more of the spending generated by the sector within regional economies and communities. (jamaicaobserver.com) ### What would a regional hub actually cover? A Caribbean tourism logistics hub, as described in the Jamaica Observer report, would be aimed at revenue retention, supply-chain control, intra-regional trade, jobs and community wealth. The committee’s broader mandate, according to Jamaica’s tourism ministry, is to deepen linkages between tourism and sectors including agriculture, manufacturing and the creative industries. (jamaicaobserver.com) The CTO’s stated mission aligns with that approach. The organization says one of its objectives is to maximize tourism’s contribution to Caribbean economies by strengthening linkages with sectors such as manufacturing and agriculture and by reducing leakages from regional economies. ### Which institutions are backing the work? The Inter-American Development Bank has agreed to fund a specialist consultant to conduct a regional study of the tourism supply side, with a focus on how Caribbean economies can retain a greater share of tourism earnings, the Jamaica Observer reported. (jamaicaobserver.com) A draft terms of reference is expected shortly, with the contract anticipated by the end of June 2026 and the consultancy expected to last 10 to 12 weeks. (onecaribbean.org) The World Bank has also confirmed support for analytical work on Caribbean tourism sector resilience, including sectoral alignment and gap analysis, according to the same report. The Observer said those commitments followed high-level engagements in Washington last month. ### Where does the CTO fit into this? The Caribbean Tourism Organization is the region’s tourism development agency and is headquartered in Barbados, according to its website. (jamaicaobserver.com) The group says it exists to help member countries collaborate on tourism development, research, marketing and policies that increase employment, foreign-exchange earnings and cross-sector linkages. That institutional role matters because Bartlett’s proposal is being advanced through a CTO committee rather than as a Jamaica-only project. (jamaicaobserver.com) The committee structure gives the initiative a channel through which multiple governments and private-sector tourism interests can shape any regional sourcing or logistics plan, based on the CTO’s membership model and the committee roster released by Jamaica’s ministry. (onecaribbean.org) ### What happens next, and when? June is the next dated milestone. The Jamaica Observer reported that the IDB and CTO plan further discussions during Caribbean Week in New York in June 2026, while the consultant contract for the regional study is targeted for completion by the end of that month. The technical groundwork is also being formalized. (mot.gov.jm) Jamaica’s tourism ministry said Professor Lloyd Waller, executive director of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, was offered to help develop the terms of reference that will guide the committee’s work. (jamaicaobserver.com)