Researchers win inaugural CTO intelligence award for study on regional travel
Dr. Dalano DaSouza accepts the tourism intelligence award from CTO Chairman Charles Fernandez, minister of tourism, Antigua and Barbuda, while CTO Secretary-General Dona Regis-Prosper looks on.
Key Points(5)
- The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has named Dr.
- Dalano DaSouza and Dr.
- recipients of its inaugural Caribbean Tourism Intelligence Award for research examining why Caribbean nationals choose international destinations over travel within the region.
- The 2026 award was announced during CTO’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) in Guyana.
- DaSouza accepted the award on behalf of the researchers for their paper, “Decline of the Regional Traveler?
The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has named Dr. Dalano DaSouza and Dr. Dennis McCall Jr. recipients of its inaugural Caribbean Tourism Intelligence Award for research examining why Caribbean nationals choose international destinations over travel within the region.
The 2026 award was announced during CTO’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) in Guyana. DaSouza accepted the award on behalf of the researchers for their paper, “Decline of the Regional Traveler? Investigating New Factors Driving Substitution of Intra-Caribbean Tourism with International Travel.”
The study draws on survey responses from 1,103 Caribbean nationals across 23 jurisdictions to examine how travel costs, international flight connectivity, visa access, migration and diaspora connections influence destination choices.
DaSouza, director of research, statistics and data analytics at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, is from St. Vincent and the Grenadines. McCall, a senior lecturer at Teesside University in the United Kingdom, is from St. Kitts and Nevis.
The findings show that age, income, education and nationality influence how travelers respond to these factors, offering insights into why residents may opt for destinations outside the Caribbean rather than travel within the region.
The research provides evidence-based recommendations for governments, tourism authorities, airlines and regional institutions seeking to improve regional connectivity and retain more tourism spending within the Caribbean.
CTO Director of Research Aliyyah Shakeer said the award aims to encourage research that reflects the region’s specific circumstances and supports decision-making across the tourism sector.
“We need research that reflects the realities of the Caribbean — research that is grounded in our destinations, our communities and our particular challenges and opportunities,” Shakeer said.
The award supports the Tourism Intelligence pillar of CTO’s Reimagine Plan, which seeks to strengthen the organization’s role as a center for tourism intelligence and promote the use of research and data across the region. It recognizes individuals, institutions and firms whose work contributes to tourism competitiveness, sustainability, resilience and people development.
The initiative grew out of a proposal by CTO Secretary-General and CEO Dona Regis-Prosper ahead of SOTIC 2025 in Barbados. The organization subsequently developed the award with support from the Caribbean Tourism Researchers Network, which operates under the International Tourism Studies Association.
Four independent evaluators — Dr. Hugues Séraphin, Dr. Mechelle N. Best, Dr. Pauline A. Milwood and Dr. Therez B. Walker — assessed the submissions. CTO said it did not evaluate or score the entries, and the evaluators worked independently without knowing one another’s identities.
SOTIC 2026 also marked the launch of the Caribbean Tourism Research Forum, which brought researchers, policymakers and tourism practitioners together to discuss research relevant to the sector’s future.
Shakeer said CTO hopes to strengthen the relationship between the forum and the award, including opportunities for researchers to present their work at future editions.
“Ultimately, our ambition is bigger than one award or one forum. It is to help build a stronger and more connected Caribbean tourism research community — one where research is shared, where evidence informs decisions, and where the knowledge generated across our region helps us shape a more competitive, sustainable and resilient Caribbean tourism sector,” she said.
SOTIC 2026 received support from conference partners Amadeus and the Inter-American Development Bank, along with sponsors and partners across the tourism and hospitality sectors.
