The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) will host its inaugural Sports Tourism Summit in Anguilla from August 12 to August 14, 2027. This event aims to create a regional platform focused on harnessing the growing intersection of sports, tourism, and economic development.
The announcement was made during the CTO’s recent State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) in Georgetown, Guyana. The summit will bring together tourism and sports officials, event organizers, athletes, sports organizations, destination marketers, private-sector partners, and other stakeholders.
Sports is a powerful connector in the Caribbean, and its potential as a driver of tourism deserves greater regional attention, according to Dona Regis-Prosper, secretary-general and CEO of CTO. The 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.
Regis-Prosper added that the summit will generate meaningful benefits for the people of the Caribbean. Anguilla is an excellent destination to begin this conversation, given its growing focus on sports tourism and its wider tourism product and capabilities in the meetings, incentives, conferences, and events market.
Cardigan Connor, Anguilla’s minister of health, tourism, and sports, said hosting the inaugural summit reflects the destination’s ambition to play a larger role in the development of sports tourism across the Caribbean. Connor, a former first-class cricketer, has seen firsthand the potential of sports to open doors and provide pathways to training, international exposure, scholarships, and careers for young people.
Anguilla’s expanding sports ecosystem, including its established tennis culture and growing reputation for golf, provides a strong foundation on which to build. The island has long incorporated sports tourism into its destination development strategy, with sporting activities and events complementing its established appeal in luxury leisure travel, culinary experiences, wellness, and other niche markets.
Jameel Rochester, director of tourism for the Anguilla Tourist Board, observed that the summit provides an important opportunity to introduce more tourism professionals and industry partners to the breadth of the Anguilla experience. For Anguilla, sports tourism is about creating another compelling reason to visit the destination and connecting visitors with the island’s accommodations, restaurants, beaches, culture, experiences, and people.
The summit allows Anguilla to demonstrate that a small destination can develop distinctive experiences, build smart partnerships, and deliver a high level of hospitality. They will announce additional details on the CTO Sports Tourism Summit, including venue, program, speakers, and registration information, in the coming months.