Destination Marketing the Caribbean

Tourism contributes a disproportionately large share of economic activity across many Caribbean states. This makes the region both immensely valuable and uniquely vulnerable.

Quick economic reality

• According to WTTC, tourism contributed an average of ~11–15% of regional GDP across Caribbean countries (WTTC/World Bank reporting highlights ~11.4% regional contribution in 2023), supporting millions of jobs. 

• The region surpassed pre-pandemic arrival levels in 2023 and continued growth into 2024, with notable increases in stay-over arrivals and intra-Caribbean travel.

• Industry estimates placed the Caribbean travel & tourism sector value in the tens of billions (WTTC and industry reporting cited figures around US$80–$100+ billion in recent years as the sector rebounded).

These numers suggest that the Caribbean punches above its weight. For many islands tourism is the dominant income source (it’s not just a sector), it’s national GDP. That drives aggressive investment in marketing and product development. The Caribbean contains luxury boutique islands (St. Barts), mass-market resort economies (Dominican Republic, Jamaica), financial/financial-services hubs (Cayman Islands), and cruise-first destinations (Bahamas, some eastern Caribbean islands). Strategy must therefore be highly tailored. The U.S. and Canada are nearby, offering major short-haul demand. Seasonality is minimized for many islands versus temperate springs/falls, so the region benefits from multi-market demand windows. : Stayover tourists often spend significantly more per capita,  a key leverage point for revenue growth.

Structural realities and marketing implications

Stayover vs Cruise — two very different plays

• Cruise brings volume, port-fees, and ancillary spend  but average spend per cruise visitor is lower and leakages (on-ship spending, foreign-owned resorts) reduce local economic capture.

• Stayover tends to deliver higher per-visitor spend and longer length-of-stay, but requires deeper distribution, infrastructure and yield management.

Marketing implication: islands that rely on cruise-driven visitation should invest in converting brief stopovers into longer stays (e.g., promo bundles, multi-island itineraries, targeted offers to cruise passengers pre-arrival). Stayover-led markets should prioritize direct-booking funnels, metasearch investments and premium product storytelling.

Product diversity = segmentation opportunity

• All-inclusive still dominates in many markets, efficient distribution for mid-scale travelers and group travel.

• Luxury & experiential niches (eco-lodges, private-island offerings, experiential food & culture) are growing and deliver higher margins.

• Adventure & nature (diving, hiking, birding) unlock off-season demand and dispersal inland.

• MICE, weddings and film tourism are underexploited in several islands.

Marketing implication: segment-specific creative, landing pages and distribution plays. Don’t blanket-advertise “Caribbean”  micro-target audiences (honeymooners, divers, family groups, MICE planners) and match product/price.

Practical marketing playbook for Caribbean DMOs and operators

Below are concrete, tactical strategies grouped into Product, Distribution, Creative, and Resilience buckets — each with suggested KPIs.

1) Product & Experience Development

• Nudge upsell from cruise to stayover. Partnerships with cruise lines and OTAs can offer pre- or post-cruise stay packages; targeted email campaigns to booked cruise passengers.
  KPI: % of cruise passengers converted to overnight stays; incremental RevPAR from converts.

• Develop inland experiences by crafting packages that disperse spend to local SMEs (food trails, cultural circuits, conservation tourism).
  KPI: % of visitor spend retained locally; length-of-stay growth outside coastal belts.

• Position luxury & wellness products year-round to attract high-yield visitors in shoulder months.
  KPI: ADR (Average Daily Rate) increases in shoulder periods; occupancy uplift.

2) Distribution & Partnerships

• Shift focus to direct-booking and invest in metasearch, dynamic retargeting and OTA parity strategies to reduce reliance on third-party resellers.
  KPI: Direct booking share; CAC (cost per acquisition) via direct vs OTA channels.

• Build air connectivity campaigns. Collaborate with airlines for seasonal routes and visibility (joint marketing funds, co-op ads).
  KPI: New route starts; lift in forward booking windows.

• Plan more travel trade & MICE opportunities  with targeted outreach to meet corporate and wedding planners in key feeder markets.
  KPI: Number of qualified MICE leads; group room nights.

3) Creative & Messaging

• Produce modular creative assets — hero videos for awareness, experiential microclips for niche segments (divers, foodies), and pragmatic ads for last-minute shoppers.
  KPI: ROAS by creative set; engagement rates for niche assets.

• Craft sustainability storytelling that highlight reef restoration, mangrove projects, community tourism — but be specific (metrics, partners, outcomes) to avoid greenwashing.
  KPI: Engagement and share of voice for sustainability content; NTAs (Net Trust/Authenticity) from traveler surveys.

What success looks like

A sensible KPI set for Caribbean DMOs / consortia:

• Economic KPIs: Tourism receipts (USD), direct tourism contribution to GDP, local spend capture rate.

• Demand KPIs: Arrival volume (stayover vs cruise), ADR, length of stay, direct booking share.

• Marketing KPIs: CAC by channel, ROAS, engagement/CTR on creative sets, conversion rate on packages.

• Sustainability & resilience KPIs: % of tourism-linked conservation funding, recovery time after weather events, cancellations during environmental incidents.

Final strategic recommendations

Segment aggressively. The Caribbean is not a single product. Build modular campaigns for high-yield niches (weddings, luxury wellness, diving) while maintaining umbrella “paradise” messaging for mass channels.

1. Own the pre-arrival conversation. Work with airlines, cruise lines and OTAs to influence travelers before they arrive  that’s where conversion to longer stays and higher yields happens.

2. Invest in resilience as marketing. Environmental readiness (beach management, sargassum monitoring, coral restoration) should be both operational investments and central to storytelling. Travelers increasingly choose destinations that demonstrate stewardship. Reuters

3. Measure economic capture, not just arrivals. Volume can be hollow without spend retention and local multiplier effects. Track local SME uplift as a marketing success metric.

4. Collaborate regionally but act locally. Regional promotion (Caribbean as a whole) creates brand halo, but most booking conversion will happen on island-level experiences and offers.