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Caribbean Tourism Organization Announces Speaker Lineup for Caribbean Week in New York 2024  

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The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has announced a stellar lineup of speakers for Caribbean Week in New York 2024. This year’s event will feature a diverse array of leaders, including a Deputy Prime Minister from the Caribbean, a leading airline executive, a renowned music producer, a world-class Caribbean communications specialist, and a cutting-edge data engineer at the forefront of artificial intelligence developments.

Rosa Harris, Chairman of the CTO Board of Directors and spokesperson for Caribbean Week, noted the strong interest from speakers and panelists. Among the confirmed speakers are I. Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism of The Bahamas; José Freig, Vice President of International Operations, American Airlines; music producer Evan Rogers; Lisa-Ann Joseph, Managing Director of the Trinidad and Tobago-based Reputation Management Caribbean Ltd.; and data engineer and solutions architect Femi Anthony.

“We are delighted by the interest expressed in this year’s event, not to mention the rapid pace of registrations for our program,” said Harris, noting that the InterContinental New York Times Square room block is almost sold out.

Celebrating its 35th anniversary under the theme “Connecting the Globe, Celebrating Diversity”, Caribbean Week 2024 will showcase a dynamic lineup of events and business meetings. These sessions will involve the CTO Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and Ministerial Council. Discussions will focus on the critical issues shaping the evolution and growth of Caribbean tourism, providing an opportunity for robust and strategic dialogue.

The week kicks off with a church service and a Business and Tourism Marketing Symposium. Returning this year are the Caribbean Media Awards and the much-anticipated Media Marketplace.

In keeping with its commitment to fostering innovation, CTO will host a special session dedicated to artificial intelligence, underscoring the organization’s forward-thinking approach. Additionally, the impactful work of the CTO Scholarship Foundation and the recently launched Jean Holder Memorial Scholarship will be in the spotlight along with the highly anticipated Women’s Leadership Breakfast Awards.

Speakers confirmed for the sessions include:

Leveraging Data for Marketing: Stan Ivankovic, Vice President, Business Development, Environics Analytics

Caribbean Travel Trends: Bonnie Borkin, Sr. Director, Tourism & Enterprise, Adara – A RateGain Company

MICE Marketing: Danny Cohanpour, CEO/Founder, Trove Tourism Development Advisors

The Latin America Market: Jackie Santiago, Senior Strategist, CIIC PR

Unlocking Cruise Potential: Claudine Pohl, Founder & CEO, Lemoneight; Wendy McDonald, Regional Vice President Government Relations, Caribbean, Royal Caribbean Group

Caribbean Service Excellence: Barry Collymore, Proprietor, Mount Cinnamon Beach Resort and Founder, West Indies School of Hospitality (WISH); Bill Clegg, Regional Director of Development, BW Hotels & Resorts; Kashmie Ali, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Sailrock South Caicos; Marcia James, Director of Sales & Marketing, The Kimberly Hotel; Joan Leacock, Human Resource Development Consultant, CTO

Artificial Intelligence: Femi Anthony, Solutions Architect and Data Engineer; Nan Marchand Beauvois, Hospitality Strategist; Jennifer Bisram, Reporter, CBS2 News

Caribbean and African American Marketing: Melissa Noel, Contributing News and Politics Editor, ESSENCE Magazine; Elinor Tatum, Publisher, New York Amsterdam News; Irwine Clare, OD, Founder, Team Jamaica Bickle; Jacqueline Nwobu, CEO, Munaluchi Bride Magazine

Airlift Forum: Rosa Harris, Chairman, CTO Board of Directors, and Director of Tourism, Cayman Islands; Dave Appleby, Director, Air Service Development Consulting ASM, Aviation Week Network, Informa PLC; José Freig, Vice President, International Operations, American Airlines; I. Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, The Bahamas; Valérie Damaseau; Commissioner of Tourism and Culture, Saint-Martin; Hadyn Hughes, Minister of Tourism and Infrastructure, Anguilla

Gateway Connections: Mark Walton, Associate Professor of the Professional Practice in Media Management, The New School; Evan Rogers, Music Producer; Frederick A. Morton, Jr., Chairman & CEO, TEMPO Networks, LLC; Christopher Browne, CEO, The Buckler Group

Public Relations and Crisis Communications: Lisa-Ann Joseph, Managing Director, Reputation Management Caribbean Ltd.; Jennifer Maguire, President, JMCPR; Cessie Cerrato, Founder, Cessie C. Communications; Marie “Driven” Theodore, Managing Partner, Playbookmg

Caribbean Media Awards: Kenneth Bryan, Chairman, CTO, and Minister of Tourism and Ports, Cayman Islands

Jean Holder Memorial Scholarship Luncheon: Joseph Boschulte, Commissioner of Tourism, U.S. Virgin Islands

Smart Destination Management: Nicola Madden-Greig, OD, President, Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association; Jeremy Jones, Corporate Director, Resort Operations – Jamaica, Sandals Resorts International; Josephine Connolly, Minister of Tourism, Turks and Caicos

Travel Trade Marketing: Ruthanne Terrero, VP/Editorial Director, Questex Travel Group

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation is the headline sponsor of Caribbean Week in New York. Gold sponsors include the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, Experience Turks and Caicos, and the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism. Sandals Resorts International is a silver sponsor. Additional supporters include Caribbean Media Exchange, Diamonds International, and Marketplace Excellence.

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Invest Turks and Caicos Islands Takes Platinum Sponsor Role at Premier Hotel Investment Summit  

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Turks and Caicos, May 23, 2026 – Invest Turks and Caicos Islands took center stage at one of the region’s most influential hospitality investment gatherings this spring, serving as a Platinum Sponsor at ALIS CALA 2026 in Coral Gables, Florida.

Held April 28 to 30 at the Loews Coral Gables Hotel, the conference brought together more than 600 tourism, hotel and investment leaders from over 35 countries focused on the future of hospitality investment in the Caribbean and Latin America.

ALIS CALA — short for the Americas Lodging Investment Summit Caribbean and Latin America — is widely regarded as the region’s premier deal-driven hospitality investment conference. The platform emerged from the merger of the long-running Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) and Hotel Opportunities Latin America (HOLA), creating what organizers describe as a high-level space where investors, developers, lenders, hotel brands and government leaders connect around major regional projects and opportunities.

The event is known for attracting senior decision-makers, with roughly one in three delegates holding titles such as Chairman, CEO, President, Owner or Principal.

Invest Turks and Caicos said its participation focused heavily on showcasing investment opportunities across the territory, particularly in the Family Islands.

CEO Angela Musgrove delivered a presentation highlighting development opportunities in the Turks and Caicos Islands to what the agency described as a full room of attendees and strong stakeholder interest.

In a statement following the conference, Invest Turks and Caicos said discussions centered on tourism expansion, sustainable development and long-term investment partnerships designed to position the Turks and Caicos Islands as a leading investment destination in the region.

The agency added that it looks forward to continuing conversations started at ALIS CALA and building new partnerships with investors, developers and strategic stakeholders interested in growth opportunities throughout the islands.

The conference itself focused heavily on capital access, hotel development pipelines, mixed-use tourism projects and investment confidence throughout the Caribbean basin — sectors where Turks and Caicos continues to attract increasing international attention.

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Multi-Agency Enforcement Action Conducted in Lower Bight

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Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands — The Informal Settlements Unit (ISU), in coordination with the Planning Department and key partner agencies, conducted a multi-agency enforcement exercise on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in the Lower Bight area in Providenciales. The exercise resulted in the complete removal of a total of eight (8) unauthorized structures and all associated debris from a privately-owned parcel of land.

The operation was led by the Planning Department, with coordination by the ISU and support from the TCI Border Force, the Crown Land Unit, and Pelican Energy.  Security for the exercise was provided by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. All agencies worked collaboratively to ensure the exercise was carried out in a safe, orderly, and controlled manner.

The enforcement action followed a structured and lawful process in accordance with the Physical Planning regulatory framework of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Section 45 Enforcement Notices were first issued on the affected parcel in December 2024, identifying unauthorized structures erected without the requisite approvals. This was followed by the issuance of Warning Notices on April 16, 2026, which advised occupants that they were in breach of planning and land use regulations and provided notice that demolition activities would proceed following the prescribed compliance period. Despite these notices and the time afforded for compliance, the unauthorized structures remained in place.

This exercise represents part of an ongoing commitment to ensuring that development within the Turks and Caicos Islands is lawful, safe, and aligned with national standards.

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Beaches Turks and Caicos and Sandals Foundation Champion Early Childhood Literacy with Star-Studded Reading Road Trip

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PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands: The grand opening of the Treasure Beach Village at Beaches Turks and Caicos brought more than just high-energy celebrations to the shores of Providenciales as the Sandals Foundation led a star-studded Reading Road Trip at four local primary schools.

Dozens of celebrities, global media representatives, resort guests, and hospitality executives took a purposeful break from the weekend’s festivities to connect directly with the island’s youngest learners. The initiative transformed standard kindergarten classrooms at Enid Capron Primary, Thema Lightbourne Primary, Ianthe Pratt Primary and Oseta Jolly Primary into dynamic literacy hubs as visitors including American Actor and Playwright Jesse Eisebberg, and Real Housewives of New York City and author Kelly Bensimon read books and engaged in fun literacy games and activities.

The carefully designed activities aimed to strengthen students’ foundational reading comprehension skills and saw visitors actively animating characters, reading aloud, playing interactive literacy games, doing phonetic exercises and collaborative arts and crafts.

For local educators, the initiative represented a valuable opportunity to broaden students’ horizons. Through meaningful interaction with media representatives, students learned firsthand about exciting careers in writing, photography, and broadcasting.

Nelene Swann, Vice Principal of Enid Capron Primary, highlighted the profound impact of the unique global connection. “The experience for the children was good as they interacted and shared in a cultural blend while learning about new cultures and different career options,” Swann shared.

For American actor and playwright Jesse Eisenberg, who spent his afternoon volunteering at Oseta Jolly Primary School, his visit coincided with a special occasion on the school’s calendar, creating an even more memorable atmosphere for the youngsters.

“Our school was celebrating Boys Day which allowed [Eisenberg] to share in the experience and even provide great mentorship advice. Lessons such as the importance of consistency were well received by students in this developmental phase,” says Handsfield.

The Sandals Foundation has long championed early childhood education as a fundamental pillar of its philanthropic mission across the region.

Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation, expressed her pride in the weekend’s grand opening educational outreach noting, “The Reading Road Trips provided a one-of-a-kind experience to guests and students as they shared in the power of play, imagination and life – all through the wonders of books. At the heart of our mission is to facilitate the creation of fun and dynamic learning environments that inspire students. We are proud to be a partner in TCI’s education tapestry and will continue to support initiatives that enable students’ holistic development.”

While the grand opening festivities brought a special influx of international participants to the classrooms, the commitment to local schools remains a consistent, year-round priority for the local resort staff. Employees regularly dedicate their personal time to mentor, tutor, and read with primary school students, fostering an incredibly strong bond between the hospitality sector and the local education system.

General Manager Deryk Meany emphasized the immense joy these initiatives bring to his dedicated staff. “This was a blast for the resort team members. The heart of the hospitality industry extends far beyond the resort’s doors and through the Reading Road Trip and other team member volunteer initiatives, we are proud to share our time, resources and expertise to the school community.”

Even as the official grand opening celebrations conclude, the positive impact of these classroom interactions will continue to resonate deeply throughout the Providenciales community and the world – example of a powerful model for community-integrated tourism.

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