Caribbean tourism leaders used one of the world’s largest travel trade events to call for faster, practical action to address climate change, warning that tourism-dependent destinations in the region remain vulnerable without stronger financial support.

Officials from the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) made the appeal during discussions at ITB Berlin 2026 in Berlin, Germany, where the region’s representatives highlighted the growing impacts of climate change on Caribbean tourism.

Speaking during a session titled “The Climate Adaptation Gap in Tourism: From Risk to Resilience,” CTO Secretary-General and CEO Dona Regis-Prosper said Caribbean nations are already experiencing the effects of extreme weather and need more practical solutions to build resilience.

“There is no teacher as great as a practical experience,” she said, reflecting on the region’s encounters with devastating hurricanes.

Regis-Prosper stressed the need to move beyond theoretical plans and focus on real adaptation measures, adding that stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors, as well as greater media engagement, will be essential in addressing the challenges posed by climate change.

Meanwhile, CTO Deputy Director of Sustainable Tourism Narendra Ramgulam highlighted the Caribbean’s frontline exposure to environmental impacts during another convention session titled “These Ideas Will Transform Tourism.”

“When you talk about climate risk, we see it and we feel it more than others,” Ramgulam said, pointing to reef degradation, beach erosion and other environmental changes already affecting the visitor experience and tourism livelihoods across the region.

He noted that while the Caribbean has extensive climate risk data and project ideas, many countries continue to struggle to convert those priorities into funded initiatives.

“Across the Caribbean, there’s no shortage of climate risk information or project ideas,” Ramgulam said. “What we consistently struggle with is turning those priorities into finance projects which can actually move forward.”

During the convention, the CTO also renewed a partnership with The Travel Foundation aimed at advancing sustainable, climate-resilient and community-centred tourism across the Caribbean.

The updated Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Regis-Prosper and The Travel Foundation CEO Jeremy Sampson, strengthening collaboration between the two organisations.

“The Caribbean is on the frontlines of climate change, but it is also at the forefront of innovation,” he said.

“This partnership is grounded in a shared belief that the future competitiveness of Caribbean tourism depends on its ability to deliver equitable benefits for local communities while adapting to the growing impacts of climate change.”

Regis-Prosper said the agreement aligns with the CTO’s Reimagine Plan and supports efforts to strengthen regional cooperation on sustainable tourism.

Through the partnership, the organisation will work with member states and partners to advance a shared approach focused on resilience, community benefits and maintaining the competitiveness of Caribbean tourism in a changing climate.