OECS Director General congratulates Antigua and Barbuda and Minister Charles “Max” Fernandez on election to the Chair of the Caribbean Tourism Organization
OECS Press Release
The Director General of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Dr. Didacus Jules, has extended warm congratulations to the Government and people of Antigua and Barbuda, and to the Honourable Charles “Max” Fernandez, Minister of Tourism, on his election as Chair of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Council of Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism.
Minister Fernandez was elected at the CTO’s Annual General Meeting and succeeds the Honourable Ian Gooding-Edghill of Barbados. Mr. Colin James, Chief Executive Officer of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, assumes the chairmanship of the CTO Board of Directors.
“This is a proud moment for Antigua and Barbuda and for the entire OECS family,” said Dr. Jules. “Minister Fernandez brings to the Chair long experience at the helm of one of the region’s most dynamic tourism economies, and a record of steady, practical leadership. The confidence that his Caribbean colleagues have placed in him is well deserved.”
The Director General noted that the new Chair takes office at a demanding time for the industry on which so many Caribbean livelihoods depend.
“Tourism is the single largest earner in most of our economies, yet we must be honest about how much of its promise remains unrealised,” Dr. Jules said. “Too large a share of every visitor dollar leaves our shores. Too few of our farmers, fishers, artisans, creatives and small entrepreneurs are woven into the tourism value chain. And too many of our communities live beside the industry without sharing fully in its rewards.”
He pointed to the scale of the challenges ahead:
- Sustainability. The climate crisis threatens the reefs, beaches and coastal infrastructure on which the Caribbean product rests, while stronger storms, sargassum influxes and rising insurance and energy costs test the resilience of every destination.
- Inclusion. The benefits of tourism must reach further into our societies, through local ownership, stronger linkages with agriculture and the creative industries, decent work, and real opportunity for our young people.
- Contribution to growth. The region must earn more from each visitor, not simply count more arrivals. That requires reliable and affordable air and sea connectivity, especially within the Caribbean, greater retention of earnings, and better data to guide policy and investment.
“These are immense challenges, and none of our countries can meet them alone,” Dr. Jules continued. “They demand a Caribbean that negotiates together, markets together and plans together. That is precisely the purpose of the CTO, and it is why the quality of its leadership matters so much at this moment.”
“I am confident that under Minister Fernandez’s leadership the CTO will be equal to the challenges of these times. The OECS Commission stands ready to work with him, with Secretary-General Dona Regis-Prosper and with the CTO membership to build a tourism industry that is more sustainable, more inclusive and more rewarding for the people of our region.”
The Director General also commended Minister Gooding-Edghill and Barbados for their stewardship of the organisation. He congratulated Saint Kitts and Nevis, elected a vice chair for the CARICOM countries, the British Virgin Islands, elected vice chair for the British Overseas Territories, and Saint-Martin, elected vice chair for the French-speaking territories. Saint-Martin’s election, he noted, paves the way for a more dynamic engagement with the Francophone Associate Members of the OECS in the shared work of building Caribbean tourism.
OECS Communications Unit