The Caribbean—from its many islands to the shores of Cancun—has long been a staple for groups, and interest in the region remains strong. Incentive travel is a staple while corporate retreats, meetings and conventions are increasingly lured by the balance the Caribbean can help strike between productivity and rejuvenation.
But how groups are engaging with Caribbean destinations is starting to change.
Janet Cuffie, director of group sales, North America, for The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation, says that in The Bahamas, group travel is evolving toward more immersive, culturally rich and sustainable experiences.
“Groups are seeking authentic interactions with local communities, diverse culinary adventures and wellness-focused activities,” she said. “The integration of these elements, facilitated by DMCs, is shaping a new era of group travel that values connection, culture and conservation.”
Global DMC Partners—a worldwide network of DMCs and event service providers—just hosted its annual Connection event at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar in The Bahamas, where 227 leaders from 31 countries, comprised of DMC partners and meeting planner clients, met to discuss business and trends shaping the meetings industry. The organization’s CEO, Catherine Chaulet, said the property and destination impressed attendees with its top-notch meeting space paired with immersive cultural experiences, excellent F&B and sustainability initiatives. To her, it was indicative of why the Caribbean is particularly special right now.
“The Caribbean in general is having a good moment,” she said. “Meeting planners are looking into it and noticing.”
Sustainability Rises to the Surface in the Caribbean
Vulnerable to the effects of climate change, sustainable travel is paramount to the Caribbean’s longevity, and therefore, destinations are highly sensitive to how travel affects their natural environments and people. Fortunately, planners are prioritizing this, too, when considering the region for programs.
“There is not one program where there’s not multiple activities supporting the local economy and sustainability,” Chaulet said. “There is so much interest now to give back to the community—the DMCs are extremely connected to the local economies—so they know where to organize activities that truly help.
“In The Bahamas we had all of our guests together clean the beach and it was one of the highlights of the conference,” she continued, referencing the Connection event. “The entire conference was about 220 people and about 130 of us were there—you should have seen in an hour how much trash we were able to clean up…And The Bahamas Tourism Board came, thanked us, and shared with us the impacts.”
Sustainability and responsible travel remain top of mind for Puerto Rico, too. Discover Puerto Rico has begun pulling together resources to help visitors keep a green mindset throughout their journey in the destination.
“Discover Puerto Rico’s Return the Love program, for example, shares responsible travel tips directly from local voices—including prominent Puerto Rican figures like actor Amaury Nolasco and MLB star Kike Hernández—encouraging visitors to explore with care and purpose,” said José Arana, group marketing director for Discover Puerto Rico. “The Green Path initiative also helps guide planners and attendees in making eco-conscious choices throughout their stay, offering a ‘Responsible Traveler’ certification for groups that embrace sustainable practices.”
Resorts in the region are taking it upon themselves to empower meetings and events to go green. Meliá Hotels International, which has meetings and events properties in Cancun and Dominican Republic, offers a “Road to Net Zero Events” program that calculates the emissions of carbon footprint events hosted at participating properties and then helps organizers identify ways to make their events carbon neutral, via offset programs. One such is Meliá´s "The Planet We Love" project, with credit certified by the United Nations.
Atlantis Paradise Island—a 600-acre resort in The Bahamas popular for meetings and incentives—just launched the country’s first coral gene bank to house, propagate and replant healthy coral on damaged reefs. The Bahamas is home to one of Earth’s largest barrier reefs and its splendor is popular with tourists, and educating travelers on the challenges facing Bahamian reefs can help with its conservation.
Social sustainability is also an important consideration when traveling to destinations throughout the Caribbean. Maintaining a healthy environment for the communities that live there is paramount, and destinations like Saint Lucia are seeing groups take a keener interest in upping their corporate social responsibility initiatives and searching for meaningful ways to give back.
“We’re seeing groups become more immersed communities and heritage—they want to leave something positive behind,” said Richard Moss, global sales director, Saint Lucia Tourism Authority. “A lot of groups are wanting to engage in some form of voluntourism, in keeping with their corporate social responsibility ethos. We’ve had dental groups host dental clinics and doctor groups host diabetic clinics and health screening facilities throughout several communities.”
[Related: Puerto Rico Is Welcoming Major New Hotels as Meetings Boom]
Cultural Experiences in the Caribbean
Cultural immersion is becoming a key part of the event planning process, especially when traveling abroad for events and incentives. The 2024 Incentive Travel Index (ITI) report found that incentive qualifiers are increasingly prioritizing authentic local experiences that showcase a destination’s culture.
A common misconception is that all Caribbean destinations are the same, Chaulet maintains, but it’s important to note that cultures of the islands and coastal Mexico destinations like Cancun and Riviera Maya are rich and distinct, promising a completely new experience from place to place.
“Part of the challenge of the Caribbean is people start to think all of the islands are alike, but when you experience certain activities you discover the diversity,” Chaulet said. “You can bring such different types of groups to the Caribbean and in each destination, have a different flair. And you support local economies as well and that makes it particularly enriching.”
One of the best ways to work authentic cultural experiences into your program in the Caribbean is by partnering with local DMCs. For the Global DMC Partner’s Connection event in The Bahamas, the group worked with Sunbound DMC to curate local activations, like an immersive Sites & Tastes tour.
Exploring the culinary scene is a popular way to explore a place, and Ross sees many groups pursuing offsite dine-arounds in Saint Lucia that go beyond just restaurant hopping.
“There are several offsite dining options offered by the DMCs. One is a culinary tour that starts in the Barefoot Holidays headquarters, which features a mini museum about Saint Lucia with artifacts, the history of creole breadmaking including a walk through a garden that has various herbs for cooking and medicinal purposes,” Moss said. “They then learn how to cook like a Lucian with a local chef.”
Arana sees similar trends in Puerto Rico, especially in Old San Juan.
“Many groups are choosing to get off property to explore the Island’s rich heritage, from walking tours of Old San Juan and salsa lessons with local pros to hands-on experiences with artists, farmers and chefs,” he said.
[Related: Meetings Today LIVE! Corporate/Incentive Makes a Fiery Bahamas Debut]
The Caribbean's Airlift Advantage
Accessibility of the Caribbean—for North American groups in particular—continues to make it a desirable choice for meetings, events and incentives.
According to recent report from Caribbean Tourist Organization (CTO), the U.S. remained the top source market to the Caribbean, with approximately 16.8 million arrivals, a 3.5% increase from 2023 and 7.9% above pre-pandemic levels. Canadian arrivals followed, reaching 3.3 million, a 4% increase compared to 2023. Airlines continue to invest in these markets, making travel to the Caribbean region easy, with many major airports offering direct flights to a variety of destinations.
For Canadian clients, the Caribbean may be posed to have an even bigger moment. Chaulet has observed an increased interest in the region from groups that want to avoid meeting in the U.S. for geopolitical reasons. And, because there are already many direct flights from major Canadian airports to various Caribbean destinations, the area has an even greater draw.
“Because of some of the challenges around being able to go to the States or decisions from our Canadian clients who don’t want to spend money in U.S., we are seeing Caribbean have more appeal,” she noted.
