Anguilla will host the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s inaugural Sports Tourism Summit from August 12 to 14, 2027, the CTO announced during its State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) held in Georgetown, Guyana.
Summit Aims and Participants
The summit will create a regional platform focused on the intersection of sports, tourism and economic development. It will gather tourism officials, sports officials, event organizers, athletes, sports organizations, destination marketers, private-sector partners and other stakeholders.
Aligned with the SOTIC 2026 theme “Tourism Futures: Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive,” the event aims to explore how sporting events and experiences can contribute to tourism growth and bring meaningful benefits
to Caribbean people.
CTO Leadership Highlights Sports Tourism’s Potential
CTO Secretary-General and CEO Dona Regis-Prosper stated, “Sports is one of the most powerful connectors we have in the Caribbean, and its potential as a driver of tourism deserves greater regional attention.” She emphasized that Anguilla is an excellent venue to begin regional sports tourism conversations.
Regis-Prosper added, “This summit will create a dedicated space for destinations to share ideas, build partnerships and look more strategically at how sporting events and experiences can contribute to tourism growth while generating meaningful benefits for our people.”
Anguilla’s Sports Tourism Strategy and Ambitions
Anguilla’s Minister of Health, Tourism and Sports Cardigan Connor, a former first-class cricketer,
highlighted the island’s ambition to leverage its tennis culture, championship golf offerings and sports traditions in sports tourism development. He said, “Having spent much of my life in sports, I have seen firsthand the doors it can open.”
Connor emphasized that sports tourism offers opportunities to attract visitors, generate economic activity and provide training, international exposure, scholarships and careers for young Anguillians and Caribbean nationals.
“Hosting the first CTO Sports Tourism Summit allows us to showcase our strengths while helping to advance a regional conversation around this burgeoning market,” Connor said.
Tourism Board Perspective on Sports Tourism
Jameel Rochester, Director of Tourism for the Anguilla Tourist
Board, said, “For Anguilla, sports tourism is about much more than staging an event. It is about creating another compelling reason to visit the destination and then connecting those visitors with our accommodations, restaurants, beaches, culture, experiences and, most important, our people.”
Rochester also stated, “The summit allows us to demonstrate that a small destination can develop distinctive experiences, build smart partnerships and deliver the high level of hospitality for which Anguilla is known.”
Further Details Pending
Additional event details such as venue, program, speakers and registration will be announced later. The exact location within Anguilla, detailed agenda and number of expected attendees
have not been disclosed.
