The network is one of the initiatives of the CTO, which has identified CBT as a regional tourism development strategy, and is seeking to optimize its role in supporting local livelihoods, stimulating entrepreneurship and community social and economic development, while also creating authentic experiences and unique product offerings for visitors.
Other initiatives include a toolkit for product development, produced in partnership with the Compete Caribbean Partnership Facility (CCPF). The toolkit includes a “how to” guide to assist communities and entrepreneurs develop profitable CBT experiences and enterprises, with information on product development, pricing, marketing and creating business plans. It also includes guidelines and templates to support experience design and product enhancement and a tool to measures communities’ capacity and CBT states of readiness.
The Caribbean Tourism Organization is headquartered in Barbados and is the Karibi’s tourism development agency comprising membership of regional countries and territories including Dutch, English, French, and Spanish-speaking, as well as private sector allied members. The organization provides specialized support and technical assistance in sustainable tourism development, marketing, communications, advocacy, human resource development, event planning & execution, and research & information technology.
