Caribbean tourism leaders urge practical climate action at ITB Berlin

Caribbean tourism leaders used one of the world’s largest travel trade events to press the global community for faster, finance-ready adaptation to climate change, warning that theoretical plans and fragmented funding are leaving heavily tourism-dependent destinations exposed.

Speaking at ITB Berlin 2026 last week during a session titled “The Climate Adaptation Gap in Tourism: From Risk to Resilience,” Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Secretary-General and CEO Dona Regis-Prosper (pic) described the region’s experience with extreme weather as immediate and unrelenting. “There is no teacher as great as a practical experience,” she stated, reflecting on her personal experience with devastating hurricanes in the region.

Building on that lived experience, the Secretary-General urged a shift from theory to practical adaptation and resilience in action, underscoring the importance of public-private collaboration and media engagement in addressing the ravages of climate change.