HAMILTON, Bermuda — The CTO ACI-LAC agreement was signed Tuesday as the Caribbean Tourism Organization and Airports Council International Latin America and the Caribbean formalized a new framework to deepen tourism and aviation collaboration across the region.
The Memorandum of Understanding was concluded at the end of the first CTO Air Connectivity Summit in Bermuda, with both organizations describing the move as a step toward stronger regional air connectivity and more coordinated destination planning.
The agreement establishes a non-binding framework for cooperation focused on improving air access, building institutional and human capacity, and supporting sustainable, resilient, and inclusive tourism growth across CTO member states, the organizations said.
Dona Regis-Prosper, secretary-general and CEO of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, said the agreement reflects a shared view that the region’s long-term tourism performance depends on closer collaboration between aviation stakeholders and destination leaders. She said the partnership is intended to strengthen the regional aviation network and support competitiveness in a rapidly evolving global travel market.
Rafael Echevarne, director general of ACI-LAC, said air connectivity remains central to Caribbean development, linking islands to each other and to international markets. He said the framework is expected to support more coordinated approaches to planning, policy dialogue, and capacity-building aimed at sustainable growth and regional resilience.
What the CTO ACI-LAC agreement covers
Under the framework, the two organizations said they will work together as regional thought leaders by advancing joint research, policy dialogue, and advocacy on shared priorities, including sustainability, resilience, and regional competitiveness.
Potential areas of cooperation outlined in the MoU include co-hosted conferences, summits, workshops, and roundtables, as well as executive education, professional development, and technical training programs. The framework also anticipates joint studies examining air connectivity trends and the impacts of aviation and tourism, along with structured knowledge-sharing and industry intelligence exchange.
The organizations also signaled plans for coordinated advocacy efforts where interests align and the development of pilot initiatives tied to shared strategic priorities. Officials did not announce specific pilots on Tuesday, but said the agreement is intended to serve as a platform for targeted initiatives over time.
While the framework is non-binding, it provides an organized structure for collaboration at a time when many Caribbean destinations continue to treat airlift as a core economic issue, with access and route reliability directly affecting visitor arrivals, business travel, and the movement of residents across the region.
Why air connectivity matters for Caribbean tourism
Caribbean tourism is heavily dependent on air access, and many island economies rely on stable flight networks to support jobs, foreign exchange earnings, and broader activity in hospitality, transportation, and services. Regional stakeholders have also increasingly linked air connectivity to crisis recovery, resilience planning, and long-term competitiveness as global travel demand shifts.
The summit also builds on ongoing regional discussions about route gaps, high fares, and the need for better intra-Caribbean movement, themes CTO has emphasized in its wider push on Caribbean air connectivity.
Organizers said the first CTO Air Connectivity Summit was designed to bring together aviation and tourism stakeholders to address shared challenges and opportunities, including how destinations and airport operators can better align planning and data to support growth.
The CTO ACI-LAC agreement will remain in effect for an initial three-year period, according to the organizations. They said the framework will guide ongoing coordination and the development of initiatives aimed at improving regional connectivity and strengthening destination competitiveness across the Caribbean.
