Standing in front of a screen displaying 1,083,448 visitors, Minister David Collado presented the results for July 2026. Behind this record-breaking tourism figure in the Dominican Republic, authorities want to highlight concrete impacts on employment, suppliers, and government revenue. But the figures also reveal a concentration of arrivals in just a few regions.
A New Milestone Reached in July
The Dominican Republic welcomed 921,718 tourists arriving by air and 161,730 cruise ship passengers in July, for a total of 1,083,448 visitors. This figure represents a 2.9% increase compared to July 2025, a 6.4% increase compared to 2024, and a 60.6% increase compared to 2019.
In the first seven months of 2026, the country welcomed a total of 7,700,118 visitors: 5,885,259 arrived by air and 1,814,859 by sea. The cumulative total is 7% higher than in 2025 and 10.4% higher than in 2024. Tourism in the Dominican Republic thus confirms a growth trend that is not based on a single exceptional month.
Punta Cana accounts for 58% of air arrivals
This is a national record, but the distribution remains uneven. In July, Punta Cana Airport handled 537,204 passengers, accounting for 58% of all air arrivals. Las Américas received 219,494 passengers, or 24%, while Cibao handled 119,662, or 13%. Puerto Plata accounted for 3%, compared with 1% each for La Romana and Samaná.
This breakdown highlights Punta Cana’s significance to tourism in the Dominican Republic. However, other destinations are also experiencing strong activity. Nationwide hotel occupancy reached 76%, with 92% in Bayahíbe, 83% in La Romana, 82% in Miches, and 80% in the Bávaro–Punta Cana area.
183,000 jobs generated by occupied rooms
Authorities estimate that hotels support more than 183,000 direct jobs and that approximately 605,000 people depend economically on the tourism industry. The kitchen is the largest source of hotel jobs, with 42,460 positions. Restaurants account for 28,991, and bars for 14,443.
In addition to these occupations are services, maintenance, security, tours, transportation, and retail. Yanira Eusebio, a beverage vendor on Guayacanes Beach, explained that the renovation of her sales stand and customer service training had helped her increase her income. Her story serves as a reminder that tourism in the Dominican Republic is not limited to hotel resorts.
Salaries, Suppliers, and Taxes
In July, the total payroll for hotels reached 4.77 billion Dominican pesos. Purchases from suppliers totaled 11.59 billion, or more than 374 million pesos per day. The sector also paid 8.729 billion pesos in taxes, according to data presented by the ministry.
The supply chain amplifies these benefits. According to Deputy Minister Jacqueline Mora, 92% of the farmland that supplies hotel kitchens is located outside the Eastern Region. Consequently, a portion of the spending generated by tourism in the Dominican Republic benefits producers located far from the popular beaches.
Do visitors leave the hotels?
Six out of ten tourists reportedly participated in activities outside their accommodations, including excursions, tours, snorkeling, or buggy rides. This tourism activity can support tour guides, transportation providers, restaurant owners, and small businesses. It also allows visitors to explore regions and cultural heritage sites beyond the scope of an all-inclusive vacation. Satisfaction levels remain high: an average of 4.4 out of 5, with 91% of respondents saying they would like to return and 59% stating they would recommend the destination.
What the record doesn't show yet
These results illustrate the sector’s economic strength, but not its full distribution. They do not specify job stability, wages by occupation, or the share of revenue retained in each municipality. Nor do they measure the impacts on housing, water, waste management, or coastal areas. The next challenge for tourism in the Dominican Republic will therefore be to transform record visitor numbers into sustainable value. After 1,083,448 visitors in July, the question is no longer just how many people are arriving, but how many local communities, workers, and businesses are thriving alongside them.
The Dominican Republic welcomed 1,083,448 visitors in July 2026. This total includes 921,718 tourists arrived by air and 161,730 cruise passengers.
According to data from the Ministry of Tourism, hotels support more than 183,000 direct jobs. In July 2026, they are said to have paid 4.77 billion pesos in wages, purchased 11.59 billion pesos in goods and services from suppliers, and generated 8.729 billion pesos in taxes.
Punta Cana remains the country’s main gateway for tourists. In July 2026, its airport welcomed 537,204 passengers, or 58% of air arrivals, ahead of Las Américas with 24% and Cibao with 13%.
In Santiago de los Caballeros, in the Dominican Republic, some Victorian houses still feature their ornate balconies, zinc roofs, and bright colors. Yet behind these facades, time is taking its toll. Abandonment, deterioration, and squatting are undermining part of this heritage. According to urban planner Reynaldo Peguero, approximately 400 Victorian and Republican-era buildings remain in the city. Each one tells more than just an architectural story: it tells the story of a neighborhood, a family, and sometimes a chapter in the nation’s history.
This reality gives a concrete face to the ongoing debate in the Dominican Republic. On July 24, 2026, the Senate approved, on second reading, a bill on the protection and acquisition of cultural heritage. The bill must still be reviewed by the Chamber of Deputies before it can be sent to the executive branch. It is therefore not yet an enacted law. Behind this bill lies a practical challenge: restoring an old building requires resources, while allowing time to take its toll can erode its value. The solution, therefore, cannot rely solely on property owners or the government alone.
Dominican Republic: Where Property Meets Memory
The bill recognizes public or private properties of historical, artistic, architectural, archaeological, documentary, scientific, or ethnological value as cultural heritage. It also covers intangible heritage, underwater heritage, and certain collections. The owner would retain ownership of the property but would be required to comply with specific obligations: to maintain it, to allow inspections, and to seek authorization before making certain alterations.
The most debated measure is expropriation. Under certain circumstances, the government may acquire private property when a lack of maintenance threatens its preservation, when its preservation so requires, or when a public interest is established. The procedure must comply with the legal framework and provide for compensation.
The issue, therefore, goes beyond a simple conflict between the government and property owners. When a historic house collapses, it is not just a private building that disappears. It is traditional craftsmanship, family memories, and a way of living in the city that are lost. The property belongs to one person. But the memory it holds can belong to an entire community.
A living heritage, not just a backdrop
In the Dominican Republic, Reynaldo Peguero is calling for better identification of vulnerable buildings and for coordination among public and private stakeholders. Saúl Abreu, executive director of the Association for the Development of Santiago, also believes that the government should consider acquiring properties of significant heritage value. The goal would not be to preserve these houses in their current state, but to give them a new purpose: as a museum, cultural space, training center, or institutional building.
This approach aligns with a key principle for the Dominican Republic: preservation does not simply mean maintaining a facade for visitors. Heritage remains alive when it continues to be visited, shared, and passed down. Without active use, restoration can become an empty shell. Without residents, artisans, historians, and community organizations, legal protection alone is not enough.
The bill also provides for a right of first refusal for the government when an owner wishes to sell a cultural heritage property. It would establish guidelines for work on national monuments, the export of certain objects, and archaeological excavations. Penalties ranging from 10 to 50 times the public-sector minimum wage are also being considered.
Who will decide what is worth saving?
However, the text raises several questions. How can one determine that a property owner is no longer fulfilling their duty to preserve the property? What support will be offered to them before expropriation? How can fair compensation be determined? And above all, will the government subsequently have the necessary budgets, specialists, and time to restore the acquired properties? These questions are essential. A preservation law must not become an arbitrary tool. It must be based on transparent inventories, independent expert assessments, accessible appeals, and a long-term strategy. It must also recognize that some property owners want to preserve their properties but simply lack the means to do so.
In the Dominican Republic, therefore, the debate is not simply a matter of choosing between private ownership and public intervention. It calls for the development of shared responsibility. The government can provide oversight and funding. Property owners can maintain and pass on these buildings. Local communities can document them. Citizens can restore these places to their rightful place in daily life. Ultimately, the question is simple: when a building embodies a part of our shared history, can we wait until it disappears to realize how important it was?
The project aims to prevent the loss of buildings, objects, or collections of heritage value. Controlled expropriation could be considered when abandonment or lack of maintenance threatens their preservation.
No. The bill was approved on second reading by the Dominican Senate, but it must still go through the legislative process before it can be enacted.
Protection could apply to historic buildings, works of art, archives, collections, archaeological sites, and other tangible or intangible assets recognized for their cultural value.
From July 13 to 17, 2026, researchers, students, and heritage professionals will gather in the colonial city of Santo Domingo. For its 31st edition, the International Congress of Caribbean Archaeology is promoting a powerful idea: the sea that separates these territories is also the one that tells the story of their connections.
Santo Domingo, a meeting place for Caribbean researchers
In a few days, the INDOTEL Cultural Center will welcome experts who will come together to share their findings. Some are studying the archipelago’s earliest settlements. Others are researching agricultural societies, slavery, underwater archaeology, or the traces left by the colonial period. The International Congress of Caribbean Archaeology will be held in the heart of the Colonial City of Santo Domingo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The choice of venue is no coincidence. In this part of the Dominican capital, the different layers of history remain visible in the streets, buildings, collections, and archaeological sites.
Organized by the Academy of Sciences of the Dominican Republic and the International Association of Caribbean Archaeology, the International Congress of Caribbean Archaeology will also bring together students, heritage managers, and members of the public interested in these disciplines. The main sessions are scheduled for July 13–17, 2026.
The Caribbean Sea as a passage
The theme of this edition, “Archaeology: Building Bridges Across the Caribbean Sea”, challenges a common perception of the region. The sea is no longer seen merely as a distance separating the islands. It becomes a space of movement, migration, exchange, and transformation. The research presented should cover periods ranging from prehistory to the colonial era. It will shed light on how populations moved between the continental coasts and the island territories, as well as between the islands themselves.
This is where the International Congress of Caribbean Archaeology goes beyond the scope of a mere scientific gathering. It invites us to reexamine Caribbean identities through material evidence: pottery shards, human remains, traces of dwellings, ritual objects, shipwrecks, and food traces. Each element has the potential to challenge a narrative that has long been accepted as fact.
International Archaeology Conference: Topics That Go Beyond Museum Display Cases
The announced focus areas demonstrate the breadth of the topics covered. In particular, the scientific program must incorporate the region’s earliest inhabitants, the archaeology of enslaved groups, rock art, underwater archaeology, DNA and isotope studies, as well as the links between the environment, climate change, and human occupation.
The International Congress of Caribbean Archaeology will also feature roundtable discussions, keynote lectures, and presentations in Spanish, English, or French, with simultaneous translation. This linguistic diversity is essential in a region where research is often scattered across various academic and publishing spheres. The organizers have announced visits to Dominican museums, exhibitions, and archaeological sites to connect the scientific discussions with the field.
A Regional History That Is Still Incomplete
After 31 editions, the International Congress of Caribbean Archaeology serves above all as a reminder that the region’s history is never fully written. New methods can shed new light on already known archaeological remains. New excavations can shift chronologies. New comparisons can reveal connections that contemporary borders have made less visible.
For Caribbean people, the issue goes beyond simply understanding the past. It also concerns how to protect sites, share discoveries, and make this knowledge accessible beyond specialized circles. In Santo Domingo, archaeology will therefore not only seek out what has disappeared. It will seek to understand what connected Caribbean societies even before their histories were told separately. What if the next great narratives of the Caribbean were still right beneath our feet, in a cave, or at the bottom of the sea?
The 31st International Congress of Caribbean Archaeology will be held July 13–17, 2026, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Researchers, students, and heritage professionals will present papers on the region’s history, settlements, and archaeological heritage.
The conference will take place in the colonial city of Santo Domingo, primarily at the INDOTEL Cultural Center. This choice places scientific exchanges at the heart of a region marked by several periods of Caribbean history and designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The theme of this 31st edition is “Archaeology: Building Bridges Across the Caribbean Sea.” It highlights the sea as a space for movement, exchange, and connections between the islands and the mainland, rather than simply as a border.
In the Caribbean, a high energy bill can slow down a business. A storm can cut off a road, block a port, or jeopardize a harvest. A security crisis can also extend beyond the borders of a single country. It is against this daily reality that the Canada-CARICOM dialogue is taking on a new dimension today.
Meeting in Panama City on the sidelines of the 2026 General Assembly of the Organization of American States, the foreign ministers of Canada and CARICOM sought to reinvigorate their strategic partnership. At the heart of their discussions was an action plan focused on three major priorities for the region: security, climate, and the economy.
Cooperation Aimed at Achieving Concrete Results
The Canada-CARICOM partnership builds on the strategic agreement launched in 2023. But the 2026 meeting marks an important milestone: both parties now want to move forward with a plan that is more specific, clearer, and more measurable.
The goal is not merely to demonstrate diplomatic closeness. It is to establish priorities, timelines, and funding mechanisms capable of producing results. For Caribbean countries, this clarity matters. The region faces a range of interrelated challenges: energy costs, climate-related disasters, maritime security, financial vulnerability, and the crisis in Haiti. The Caribbean is not merely asking for aid. It is seeking partners capable of understanding its realities and working alongside it for the long term.
Security: A Regional Emergency
Security is central to this new Canada-CARICOM plan. The ministers discussed transnational crime, gangs, irregular migration, maritime security, and illicit flows. For the region, these issues are not isolated. The sea serves as a link, but it is also an area of vulnerability. Trafficking, criminal networks, cyberthreats, and political crises sometimes spread faster than institutional responses can keep up.
Canada already supports certain regional initiatives through capacity building, targeted interventions, and operational partnerships. The new challenge is to move toward a more coordinated response: better protecting maritime areas, strengthening institutions, sharing relevant information, and limiting the influence of criminal networks.
Haiti: A Crisis That Affects the Entire Caribbean
Haiti is a major focus of the discussions. The political, security, and humanitarian crisis the country is facing has direct consequences for the region. In particular, the ministers highlighted the risks associated with drug and arms trafficking. Support for the Gang Suppression Force was among the topics discussed. This force is intended to help restore security on the ground, with a mandate set to be renewed by the United Nations Security Council.
But the response cannot be limited to security measures alone. The ministers also reaffirmed the right of Haitians to choose their own government. They support the holding of credible elections as soon as conditions permit, as well as efforts to combat corruption and impunity. Haiti serves as a powerful reminder: no lasting stability in the Caribbean can be achieved by leaving a country to face such a profound crisis on its own.
Climate and the Economy: Two Sides of the Same Challenge
The new Canada-CARICOM plan also clearly links climate and the economy. In the Caribbean, a natural disaster is never just a weather event. It affects families, businesses, roads, schools, ports, and public finances. Access to reliable and affordable energy is once again a priority. Overly expensive energy stifles innovation and puts a strain on households. A more stable energy supply can support industry, services, investment, and the transition to more sustainable models.
Trade is also part of the equation. The CARIBCAN program, which grants duty-free access to the Canadian market for most products originating in 18 Caribbean Commonwealth countries and territories, remains an important tool. It serves as a reminder that the Canada-CARICOM partnership is not just about diplomacy. It also encompasses economic opportunities, supply chains, and the ability of Caribbean businesses to expand beyond their local markets.
Greater Attention to the Caribbean's Vulnerability
Another key aspect of the Canada-CARICOM partnership concerns financing. Several Caribbean states are considered middle-income countries. Yet their vulnerability to climate-related disasters, economic shocks, and supply disruptions remains very high. This is one of the region’s major paradoxes. On paper, some countries appear too “advanced” to easily access concessional financing. In reality, a single crisis can undermine years of progress.
The ministers therefore emphasized the need to reform the international financial architecture. The idea is simple: the actual vulnerability of small states must be taken into account more fully—not just their average income.
A plan to follow closely
The coming months will be crucial. Officials still need to finalize the details of the action plan, identify priority initiatives, develop an implementation schedule, and strengthen monitoring efforts. A dialogue among senior officials is scheduled for the fall to advance this work.
The Canada-CARICOM partnership alone will not solve the Caribbean’s challenges. But it says something about the current moment: the region wants to be heard as a strategic area, not just as a vulnerable one. Now the real question remains: Will this new plan bring about visible changes for Caribbean people, businesses, and territories?
The new Canada-CARICOM plan is a roadmap designed to strengthen cooperation between Canada and the Caribbean Community. It is based on three priorities: more resilient economies, climate action, and regional security. The goal is to move from a diplomatic partnership to more concrete actions, with timelines, measurable results, and sustainable financing mechanisms.
Haiti is a key focus because its political, security, and humanitarian crises have repercussions for the entire region. The ministers discussed drug and arms trafficking, support for the Gang Suppression Force, and the right of Haitians to choose their own government. For CARICOM, Haiti’s stability therefore remains a regional issue, not just a national one.
The Canada-CARICOM Partnership directly links climate and the economy. It emphasizes access to reliable and affordable energy, the development of trade, the strengthening of supply chains, and access to financing tailored to the vulnerabilities of small Caribbean states. The goal is to enable the region to better withstand natural disasters, economic shocks, and international crises.
At daybreak, in many neighborhoods of Santo Domingo, kitchens come to life with a simple task: mashing green plantains after they’ve been cooked. This purée is often topped with red onions marinated in vinegar, Dominican salami, fried cheese, and eggs. This iconic breakfast dish has a short name: mangú. Behind this familiar word lie Dominican culinary history, African heritage, and an etymology that is still debated.
A Word for an Everyday Dish
Mangú refers first and foremost to a dish made from green plantains that are boiled and then mashed into a smooth purée. Depending on the family, cooking water, butter, or oil may be added to adjust the texture. Red onions, often sautéed with vinegar, add a tangy note that contrasts with the sweetness of the plantains.
The dish is often served with “los tres golpes,” literally “the three bites”: fried Dominican salami, queso de freír, and fried eggs. This combination has become one of the most recognizable symbols of the Dominican breakfast. While it does not hold official status as a national dish, it plays a major role in the country’s eating habits and in how it presents its cuisine to the world.
African Roots on Your Plate
The origins of mangú are generally traced back to African traditions of boiled, pounded, or mashed starchy foods. These culinary practices crossed the Atlantic with enslaved Africans and later evolved according to the available ingredients and local customs.
In the Caribbean and Latin America, several dishes also feature mashed plantains. Puerto Rican mofongo is most often made with fried and mashed plantains. In Cuba, fufú de plátano is prepared differently. In Colombia, cayeye is generally made with cooked green plantains, while the Ecuadorian bolón often combines plantains with various toppings. These recipes are not identical, and their names do not necessarily share the same origin. However, they reflect culinary influences linked to the African history of the Americas.
An Etymology That Remains Open
The exact origin of the word “mangú” remains unclear. One commonly cited theory links it to “mangusi,” which is said to be a term originating from the Congo Basin. However, this theory is not supported by linguistic evidence that is clear enough to be considered a certainty.
Another story goes that an American soldier, during the occupation of the Dominican Republic that began in 1916, tasted the dish and exclaimed, “Man, good! ” The Dominicans then supposedly transformed this phrase into “mangú.” The story is popular, but the chronology contradicts it. The word was already attested in 1899 in a text by Francisco Ortea devoted to linguistic usages observed in the country.
This evidence alone is not enough to resolve the entire etymology. It does, however, show that the term did not originate during the American occupation. Rather than choosing between two tenuous accounts, it is more rigorous to acknowledge that the word’s origin remains open to interpretation. The dish may have African roots without its name being automatically linked to a specific African language.
From the Homeland to the Diaspora
Today, mangú is enjoyed far beyond just breakfast. It can be served at various times of the day and remains a staple in Dominican restaurants throughout the diaspora, particularly in New York, Miami, and Madrid. In the United States, home to more than two million people of Dominican descent, this dish retains strong sentimental value. While its texture, toppings, and presentation vary from family to family, its presence serves as an immediately recognizable point of connection across generations, both in the Dominican Republic and in communities around the world.
For many, a plate of mangú evokes home cooking, a Sunday morning, or a shared meal. The word doesn’t encapsulate the entire Dominican Republic, but it captures an intimate part of it: the traditions passed down, the adapted flavors, and the stories we continue to explore.
Next week, RK Words will cross another sea. We’re heading to Jamaica to explore “bashment,” a word from Jamaican patois associated with partying, dancehall, and a whole new way of taking the stage.
Mangú is a Dominican dish made from green plantains that are boiled and then mashed into a smooth purée. It is often served with red onions dressed in vinegar. Although it is commonly associated with breakfast, it can also be eaten at other times of the day. Mangú holds an iconic place in home cooking and in the culinary identity of the Dominican Republic.
The exact origin of the word “mangú” remains uncertain. One theory links it to a term supposedly originating in the Congo Basin, but this theory lacks solid linguistic evidence. Another account claims that the word comes from the English expression “Man, good! ,” which was used during the American occupation of the Dominican Republic. This version is contradicted by a written record of the word dating back to 1899, before the occupation began in 1916.
“Los tres golpes,” or “the three accompaniments,” refers to the three side dishes traditionally served with mangú: fried Dominican salami, the cheese used for frying called queso de freír and fried eggs. This combination makes up one of the most recognizable breakfasts in the Dominican Republic. Depending on the family or restaurant, the dish may also include red onions or avocado.
Organized by the Caribbean Chamber of Commerce in Europe (CCCE), the second edition of Caribbean Days brought together various expressions of Caribbean culture at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Over the course of four days, the event provided a forum for dialogue on regional cooperation, sustainable tourism, and economic relations between the Caribbean and Europe.
A Caribbean-style restaurant with a view of Paris
On the roof of UNESCO, Caribbean chefs from the association Les Toques françaises are preparing a three-course Caribbean menu. From the restaurant, guests can see the Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides, and the Left Bank. This scene captures the spirit of the Caribbean Days : to showcase the Caribbean through its creative works and craftsmanship, and then use this cultural presence to foster broader exchanges.
The Caribbean Chamber of Commerce in Europe (CCCE) organized this second edition as part of Latin American and Caribbean Week. Under the theme “Peace, Diversity, and Sustainability,” the event brought together representatives from the cultural, institutional, diplomatic, and economic sectors.
Over the course of four days, the program featured the visual arts, gastronomy, fashion, film, literature, poetry, music, and dance. These disciplines showcased various facets of Caribbean creativity in a venue dedicated to education, science, culture, and heritage.
Creative Industries Take Center Stage
The Caribbean Days highlighted the creative industries as one of the region’s strengths. Cuisine, fashion, film, storytelling, music, and dance served as points of connection between different regions and sectors.
This diversity brought together Caribbean ambassadors, other diplomats, representatives from the public sector, and private-sector stakeholders. Culture thus provided a common framework for discussions on development, investment, and partnerships.
Founded in November 2019, the CCCE’s mission is to facilitate exchanges between the Greater Caribbean and Europe. It also seeks to encourage European investment in the region’s sustainable economic development. In Paris, this mission has taken the form of meetings between institutions, businesses, and Caribbean representatives.
Regional Cooperation Over Lunch
A luncheon discussion focused on cooperation between France’s overseas territories in the Caribbean and CARIFORUM member states. Representatives from the Bank of France, Expertise France, and the OECD gave presentations.
The remarks by French Senator Micheline Jacques, who supports an economic partnership between France’s overseas territories and Haiti, refocused the debate on a concrete question: How can we strengthen ties among the various parts of the Caribbean region?
Through this event, the Caribbean Days brought culture, diplomacy, and the economy closer together. Gastronomy was not merely a backdrop; it served as a framework for dialogue on potential areas of cooperation and on the Caribbean’s role in its relations with Europe.
Sustainable Tourism in the Face of Climate Change
A roundtable discussion was held on sustainable tourism. Geoffrey Lipman, former president of the World Travel and Tourism Council and former deputy secretary-general of the World Tourism Organization, participated alongside Florian Valmy-Desvillers, director of business development for the Caribbean Tourism Organization in the United Kingdom and Europe.
Jo Spalburg, Secretary General of the CCCE, summarized the main message of these discussions. According to him, the acceleration of climate change makes it necessary to develop tourism that is more sustainable and more beneficial to local communities. These communities play a direct role in protecting the region’s natural and cultural heritage for future generations.
This reflection gives the Caribbean Days a specific scope. It links the promotion of Caribbean destinations to the responsibility of preserving what attracts visitors: landscapes, cultural heritage, cultural practices, and local knowledge.
From Cultural Visibility to Partnerships
As this second edition comes to a close, the CCCE is highlighting a collective goal: to transform cultural visibility into collaborations, innovation, and sustainable growth for the region.
The Caribbean Days have shown that culture can foster dialogue among diplomats, institutions, businesses, and creative professionals. What happens next will depend on the ability of the partners gathered in Paris to turn these exchanges into concrete partnerships that benefit Caribbean regions and communities.
Caribbean Days, also known as Journées des Caraïbes, is an event organized by the Caribbean Chamber of Commerce in Europe at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Over the course of four days, the second edition of the event showcased the visual arts, gastronomy, fashion, film, literature, poetry, music, and dance. The event took place under the theme “Peace, Diversity, and Sustainability,” as part of Latin American and Caribbean Week.
Caribbean Days is organized by the Caribbean Chamber of Commerce in Europe (CCCE). Founded in November 2019, this organization seeks to facilitate exchanges between the Greater Caribbean and Europe, while encouraging European investment in the region’s sustainable economic development. In Paris, the CCCE brought together representatives from the cultural, diplomatic, institutional, and economic sectors to discuss Caribbean culture and challenges.
Caribbean Days combined the promotion of creative industries with discussions on regional cooperation and sustainable tourism. A luncheon forum focused on relations between France’s overseas territories in the Caribbean and CARIFORUM member states. A roundtable discussion also addressed the effects of climate change and the need to develop more sustainable tourism that better benefits local communities working to protect the region’s natural and cultural heritage.
A constraint that can become a value
The Caribbean is experiencing climate change directly, brutally and continuously. More intense cyclonic seasons, accelerated coastal erosion, fragile coral ecosystems, energy vulnerability: no island in the region has been totally spared. For a long time, this reality has been presented as a constraint for public budgets, for tourism operators and for economic models based on the classic spa industry.
The Travel Dreams 2026 report by Amadeus, however, suggests a possible turnaround. What was once perceived as a fragility can become a value proposition, as long as it is acknowledged and accurately portrayed. This is where the notion of visible sustainability becomes central.
What travellers say
The study first documents the scale of demand. Of the 6,000 travelers surveyed across six major global markets, 75% say that a hotel’s sustainability commitments are important in their booking decision. More than one in three, precisely 35%, consider them “very important”.
And this concern translates into willingness to pay. Travelers who place importance on this criterion say they are willing to spend an average of 11.7% more per night to stay in an establishment with serious sustainable practices. This represents around $29 more on a $250 room. Among Generation Z travelers, this willingness rises to 14.7%, or almost $37 more per night. Visible sustainability starts here: in a hotel’s ability to communicate why these practices are worth more.
One data point deserves particular attention for the Caribbean: sensitivity to sustainability varies greatly according to source markets. It reaches 93% of travelers surveyed in India and 85% in China, compared to 65% in the UK and Germany. For a region seeking to reduce its dependence on traditional markets, these discrepancies open up a strategic avenue to be handled with caution. These travelers won’t be satisfied with a generic discourse on nature. They’ll be looking for evidence, visible features, documented stories. For the Caribbean, visible sustainability can become a way of speaking to these audiences without denying its local roots.
What hotels do
On the supply side, Amadeus data show a widespread commitment among the hoteliers surveyed. Of the 500 general managers or equivalent profiles consulted across nine countries, all say they plan to spend on sustainability initiatives in the coming year. The average anticipated expenditure represents 6.7% of total company expenditure. And 35% of hoteliers identify sustainability as a key differentiating factor from their competitors.
But the study also highlights a revealing discrepancy. Hotels invest primarily in actions that have an internal operational efficiency rationale: water conservation (33%), sustainable catering supply (33%), responsible supply chains (33%), waste reduction (32%), staff training (32%).
On the other hand, practices that are more visible to the customer, such as renewable energies (28%), biodiversity and community initiatives (27%), and the link between sustainability and loyalty programs (21%), remain less developed. It is this tension that makes visible sustainability strategic: it forces us to move from internal effort to an experience understood by the traveler.
Closing the gap
Joerg Schuler, Head of Global Hospitality Sales at Amadeus, sums up this discrepancy by talking about sustainability as being more “visible, experiential and integrated into the stay”. The formula is important, because it changes the subject. It’s no longer just a question of saying that a hotel consumes less water or reduces its waste. It’s about making these choices understandable, concrete and experienced by the traveler. Visible sustainability therefore requires not only proof, but also an accurate narrative.
This gap is precisely what the Caribbean can bridge. Visible Caribbean sustainability is not an abstract technical program. It can be embodied in visible, relatable, situated practices. Restoring mangroves. Coral reef protection. Local solar energy. Short-distance sourcing from small island producers. Saving water in contexts where the resource is precious. Passing on traditional knowledge of how to use the environment sparingly.
Each of these practices can be both a serious environmental commitment and a story that travelers can experience during their stay. It is this articulation that transforms visible sustainability into perceived value, and thus into pricing leverage.
A value to be documented
A Caribbean hotel that can document, with figures, identified partners and measurable results, its role in restoring a local ecosystem is no longer just selling a room. It’s selling participation in a broader regional project. Travelers surveyed by Amadeus have already indicated their willingness to pay for this. Visible sustainability therefore requires showing what is being done, by whom, with what effects.
This logic goes beyond the individual hotel business. It also concerns destination management bodies, tourism authorities and regional economic players. A region’s ability to credibly communicate its ecological commitment is becoming a competitive variable in the face of other tropical destinations. At destination level, visible sustainability can become a common language for hotels, producers, associations, communities and travellers.
The Caribbean challenge
For the Caribbean, the challenge is not to become sustainable in the sense that other regions understand it. It is to make legible a sustainability that, in many cases, is already practiced at the level of communities, small businesses, local cooperatives and inherited know-how. The global market is willing to pay for it. The question is whether the region will be able to present this reality with the appropriate rigor, coherence and pride.
This series of articles, in its three parts, has attempted to defend the same thesis. The expectations of travelers in 2026 – disconnection, connection to place, visible sustainability – are not constraints that Caribbean players have to endure. They are expectations that the region structurally bears, by virtue of its geography, cultures and history. What remains, as always, is the patient task of putting them into words. This is the editorial mission that Richès Karayib will continue to carry out, alongside the region’s economic, institutional and creative players.
Visible sustainability refers to the set of sustainable commitments that a traveler can actually see, understand or experience during their stay. It’s not just about internal measures, such as reducing water costs or limiting waste behind the scenes. In the Caribbean, this can take the form of solar power clearly integrated into the hotel, a mangrove restoration program, coral reef protection, sourcing from local producers or community actions presented with concrete results. This approach makes the ecological commitment more legible and credible for the traveler.
Visible sustainability can become a competitive advantage as travelers increasingly value hotels’ environmental commitments. According to the data used in the article, a majority of travelers consider these commitments to be important when choosing an establishment, and a proportion are even willing to pay more for serious practices. For Caribbean hotels, the challenge is not only to act, but also to document and tell the story of these actions with precision. An establishment capable of demonstrating its local impact is no longer just selling a room: it is proposing participation in a local project.
Caribbean destinations can better promote their visible sustainability by linking the actions of hotels, producers, associations, local authorities and communities into a coherent narrative. This requires proof: figures, identified partners, measurable results, actions monitored over time. A destination that explains how it protects its reefs, saves water, supports short circuits or restores its ecosystems builds a stronger promise than a simple discourse on nature. For the Caribbean, this storytelling is strategic, as it transforms real climate vulnerability into a cultural, ecological and economic value proposition.
When luxury is more than just décor
For a long time, luxury in the international hotel industry was measured by the thickness of the marble, the height of the ceilings, the scarcity of objects in the rooms. Some of this grammar still exists. But another, potentially more profitable, is emerging. Cultural luxury is gaining in importance. It is measured by the quality of the connection a traveler can establish with the place he or she is visiting.
This evolution is documented in Travel Dreams 2026: From data to delight, a report published by Amadeus in April 2026, based on a survey conducted by Opinium Research in the fourth quarter of 2025. Asked about the sensations they seek in a destination, 24% of the 6,000 travelers cited “connection to a place: food, experiences, special moments”. This was the second most frequent response, behind freedom. As far as hoteliers are concerned, the figure is becoming strategic: 44% of the 500 general managers surveyed across nine countries identified “concierge and guided experiences” as one of the two main drivers of growth in non-room revenues, on a par with social events.
What travellers are really looking for
In other words, what travelers are looking for, and what hoteliers worldwide are beginning to monetize in earnest, is the same thing: access to living culture. Cultural luxury is not just about décor or service levels. It’s about creating the right relationship between the visitor, the area and the people who bring it to life.
The Amadeus report goes further, putting a figure on what it calls “local experience kits”: neighborhood guides, handcrafted souvenirs, connections with cultural players. It estimates that a mid-range hotel could generate over $243,000 in additional annual revenue from this type of service, based on a guide price of $20 per kit. Nearly a third of business travelers who extend their stay for leisure purposes say they are prepared to pay more than 15% above the average rate for this type of service. With this in mind, cultural luxury is also becoming an issue of business model, not just image.
The Caribbean's value is still under-structured
This fact is particularly relevant to the Caribbean. The region’s cultural heritage is alive and well, but still unevenly structured in terms of tourism and hotel offerings. The Kalinago traditions of Dominica, the Creole languages spoken from island to island, the memory of ancient maritime routes, syncretic ritual practices, culinary know-how handed down outside the formal circuits: all this constitutes a capital that still largely escapes the logics of standard hotel valorization. And yet, this is precisely where cultural luxury can find its most solid footing.
Exceptions do exist. Some independent hotels in the Caribbean have long understood that having a traveler dine in a local market, meet with an artisan or enjoy an hour’s silent walk in a heritage district creates a value that is difficult to compare with a standardized spa facility. But these initiatives often remain isolated, barely visible in destination communications, and rarely structured as a coherent economic proposition. To turn cultural luxury into a sustainable lever, we need to move on from one-off initiatives to a clear, profitable offering that respects local players.
Local experiences to be organized differently
The Amadeus report identifies a potentially game-changing trend. According to the study, 41% of hotels surveyed have already created packages linked to regional concerts, cultural events or popular TV series, and 38% plan to do so within the year. The traveler of 2026 no longer comes just to see a place. They come to enter into a relationship with it, through proposals that are constructed, told and embodied. This shift towards cultural luxury is exactly the kind of proposition that the Caribbean can articulate, provided its economic players work together.
This implies a number of shifts. Firstly, we need to move away from competition between islands and think in terms of pan-Caribbean offerings, where the richness of each territory complements rather than cannibalizes each other. Secondly, we need to professionalize the way in which our cultural heritage is presented: not by folklorizing it, but by presenting it with the editorial and visual rigor expected by a well-informed international traveler. Finally, we need to structure the economic relationship between hotels, local cultural players and experience operators, so that the value generated benefits the regions and not just international intermediation platforms. Caribbean cultural luxury can only be as strong as the people who bring it to life.
A journey that also promises personal transformation
Another statistic in the report is worth noting. Asked what they hope to bring back from a trip, 18% of travelers surveyed cite “a new version of themselves: clearer, lighter, more intentional”. This figure rises to 39% among travelers surveyed in China. For Caribbean destinations seeking to diversify their source markets, this signal deserves attention. It does not allow us to generalize to all Asian markets, but it does show that some travelers already associate travel with a form of personal transformation.
Enhancing without diluting
In 2026, cultural luxury is no longer sold in rooms alone. It’s sold in encounters. In hours. In presence. The Caribbean has what it takes to meet these expectations. All that remains is to organize it, to tell its story, to enhance its value without diluting it.
Cultural luxury is a new way of thinking about high-end travel. It’s not just about the comfort of a hotel, the quality of a room or the presence of exclusive amenities. It’s built around the relationship between the traveler and the territory visited. In tourism, this can take the form of a meeting with an artisan, a meal prepared with local produce, a guided tour by a local, or an experience that provides a better understanding of a place’s history, languages, practices and memories. Cultural luxury therefore gives value to that which cannot easily be copied: the living identity of a territory.
Cultural luxury represents a major opportunity for the Caribbean, as the region boasts a rich living heritage: Creole languages, culinary traditions, historical memories, music, craft skills, community practices and indigenous or Afro-descendant heritages. Yet some of this richness remains unstructured in conventional tourism offerings. By developing better-organized local experiences, Caribbean territories can create new revenue streams, boost the attractiveness of their destinations and better involve cultural players in the value generated by tourism. The challenge is not just economic: it also concerns the transmission, recognition and preservation of local identities.
Caribbean hotels can develop cultural luxury by working directly with local players: artisans, guides, chefs, artists, historians, cultural associations, heritage communities and experience operators. The aim is not to turn culture into décor, but to build respectful, rewarding and well-told propositions. This means choosing legitimate partners, presenting traditions accurately, avoiding clichés and guaranteeing that income actually benefits the people who carry this knowledge. A solid cultural luxury doesn’t put culture on display: it creates a fair encounter between the visitor, the place and those who bring it to life.
In New York, Caribbean flags are never seen by chance. In June, they tell a family story, a memory of exile, a sense of belonging that crosses American islands and cities. In Manhattan this Monday, June 1, the Caribbean Tourism Organization officially opens Caribbean Week New York 2026. Business forums, professional meetings, cultural presentations: for five days, from June 1 to 5, the American metropolis becomes one of the major meeting points for the organized Caribbean. And this year, the event takes on a special dimension. Caribbean American Heritage Month marks twenty years of national recognition.
A Caribbean week in the heart of New York City
In 2026, Caribbean Week NY will focus on the theme “One Caribbean: Infinite Experiences”. Caribbean American Heritage Month, on the other hand, focuses more broadly on the idea of memory, identity and unity. Three words sum up the spirit of this year’s Caribbean American Heritage Month. Independence, because Caribbean peoples continue to construct their own narratives. Identity, because it is forged as much in the islands as in the cities of the North. Unity, finally, because Caribbean countries, territories and communities can recognize themselves in a common history without erasing their differences.
Claire Nelson, one of the decisive voices of the Caribbean-American month
Claire Nelson knows this story well. Founder of the Institute of Caribbean Studies in Washington, she championed the idea of a national month dedicated to Caribbean contributions to the United States in the late 1990s. After several years of advocacy, the initiative made headway in Congress with the support of Congresswoman Barbara Lee. In June 2006, President George W. Bush signed the Presidential Proclamation officially recognizing June as Caribbean American Heritage Month in the United States. Without Claire Nelson, without the Institute of Caribbean Studies, without Barbara Lee, this national event would probably not have taken on such importance.
From recognition to visibility
Twenty years on, it’s not just about recognition. It’s visibility. The 2026 program reflects this expansion: Caribbean book fairs, Caribbean Restaurant Week, DC Caribbean Film Festival, then a legislative week from June 8 to 11 with exchanges devoted to Caribbean interests on Capitol Hill. In New York, the New York Public Library is also planning activities during the month, starting with a screening of Bob Marley: One Love on June 1 at the Mott Haven Library in the Bronx.
A Caribbean diaspora that counts in the United States
The U.S. Caribbean diaspora is not marginal in the ethnic mosaic of the United States. According to the Migration Policy Institute, immigrants born in the Caribbean region were estimated to number 5.3 million in the United States in 2024, representing around one tenth of the country’s immigrant population. If descendants born on American soil are added, the Caribbean presence far exceeds the first generation. New York, Miami, Boston, Orlando, Tampa, as well as Washington and Atlanta, are home to structured communities, visible in businesses, churches, associations, local media and cultural events.
Jamaicans, Trinidadians, Haitians, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Barbadians, Guyanese, Bahamians: the list is long, and each community defends its own identity while participating in a shared pan-Caribbean narrative. This diasporic singularity deserves to be named precisely. Unlike other communities with a single national origin, the Caribbean diaspora in the United States often operates on a dual register: national pride and regional awareness. The month of June does not erase the first sense of belonging. It activates the second. It’s a time when island flags can appear together, from Brooklyn to Little Haiti, without each story losing its voice.
Caribbean figures in American history
American history is itself criss-crossed by Caribbean figures that many still ignore. Alexander Hamilton, the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and architect of the American financial system, was born in Nevis, in the British West Indies, before he left for the American colonies. Sidney Poitier, a Bahamian-American actor, became the first black actor to win the Oscar for Best Actor in 1964, for Lilies of the Field. Audre Lorde, poet and leading thinker of black feminism, grew up in New York in a family of Caribbean origin. Colin Powell, America’s first black Secretary of State, was the son of Jamaican parents.
The list continues with Harry Belafonte, Cicely Tyson, Stokely Carmichael (now Kwame Ture), Marcus Garvey and Shirley Chisholm. The latter, the first black woman elected to the US Congress, was born in Brooklyn into a family with roots in Barbados and Guyana. These names do not form a symbolic gallery. They show how the Caribbean has participated, sometimes from the margins, in writing central pages in the political, artistic and social history of the United States.
Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago: memories in motion
For the Guyanese diaspora, Caribbean American Heritage Month this year extends the 60th anniversary of Guyana’s independence, marked at the end of May in Brooklyn. In Jamaica, the press revisited the 30th anniversary of the Sinbad Soul Music Festival, associated with Montego Bay and the rise of music tourism aimed at African-American audiences. For Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean American Heritage Month also spotlights Claudia Jones, a Trinidadian journalist and activist deported from the United States in 1955, considered one of the founding figures of the Caribbean Carnival in London, whose legacy has nourished the Notting Hill Carnival.
A transmission framework for new generations
Twenty years after the 2006 presidential proclamation, Caribbean American Heritage Month is no longer just a calendar or a series of events. It has become a framework for transmission. It enables the diaspora to recognize, document and tell new generations what it means to be Caribbean, American, island, urban, national and regional. The work is not finished. But in 2026, in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Miami, Washington or Boston, millions of Caribbean-Americans are preparing to continue it, each with their own accent, flag and memory.
Each June, Caribbean American Heritage Month is dedicated to recognizing the contributions of Caribbean people and their descendants to the United States. It highlights the history, culture, migratory patterns, public figures and social, artistic and political legacies of the Caribbean. In 2026, it takes on a special dimension, as it marks twenty years of national recognition since the presidential proclamation of 2006.
Caribbean Week NY is important in 2026 because it opens the month of June in a highly symbolic context: the 20th anniversary of Caribbean American Heritage Month. Organized in New York, it brings together tourism players, institutions, diasporic communities and Caribbean representatives with a common goal: to make the Caribbean’s place in the American space more visible. It also shows that culture, tourism and diasporic memory are closely linked.
The Caribbean diaspora plays a major role in the United States, culturally, politically, economically and socially. Present in New York, Miami, Boston, Washington and Atlanta, it brings together communities from Jamaica, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Barbados and the Bahamas. Caribbean American Heritage Month helps us better understand this dual sense of belonging: national pride specific to each island or territory, and a shared Caribbean consciousness.
Zona Colonial, in Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic, boasts a street billed as the first paved street in the Americas. It’s called “Calle Las Damas”. In the early 16th century, the ladies of the court of María de Toledo, wife of Diego Colón, used it to walk between the buildings of Spanish power, under the Caribbean sun. The street is still there. It borders the Ozama, the river that flows into the Caribbean Sea. And it provides access to the most densely populated “first-time” district in all of colonial America: the Zona Colonial.
A UNESCO-listed founding city
Zona Colonial, also known as Ciudad Colonial in the Dominican Republic, was designated aUNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990. Santo Domingo is considered to be the first permanent European city in the Americas. First established on the east bank of the Ozama in 1496, then founded as a colonial city in 1498 according to UNESCO, it was reorganized in 1502 on the west bank by Nicolás de Ovando. The city became the first lasting seat of Spanish power in the New World, and a major base for expansion towards the rest of the continent.
The cathedral that opened up the religious history of the Americas
The list of “firsts” remains impressive. The Catedral Primada de América, the first Catholic cathedral in the Americas, was built from 1514 onwards, its foundation stone attributed to Diego Colón, son of Christopher Columbus. The building was completed in the early 1540s, and elevated to the rank of metropolitan and primatial cathedral in 1546. Its limestone façade, vaulted interior and sober decor make it one of the great architectural landmarks of the 16th century in the Americas.
The Christopher Columbus debate continues
The cathedral is also linked to one of the best-known funerary debates in Atlantic history. Remains attributed to Christopher Columbus are said to have rested here before being transferred to Cuba and then Seville, while a lead box discovered in Santo Domingo in 1877 has fuelled the Dominican claim. DNA analysis has confirmed the authenticity of the remains preserved in Seville, although it does not completely rule out the possibility that other fragments may have remained in the Dominican Republic. The Zona Colonial is therefore not just an ancient setting: it is also the focus of many open historical questions.
A neighborhood of firsts and powers
Fortaleza Ozama, at the mouth of the eponymous river, is one of the oldest surviving colonial military structures in the Americas. It was built in the early 16th century, as part of Nicolás de Ovando’s organization of the city. The Casa del Cordón, built around 1503, is one of the first European stone houses in the New World. The Alcázar de Colón, a Gothic-Mudejar palace with Renaissance influences, was built between 1511 and 1514 for Diego Colón and his wife María de Toledo. As for the Dominican convent, it recalls the arrival of the first Dominican friars in Hispaniola in 1510, a religious milieu from which emerged the first major criticisms of colonial violence against indigenous peoples.
A historic center still inhabited
This Dominican singularity deserves to be named. The Zona Colonial is not just a concentration of ancient monuments. UNESCO also emphasizes its character as a living historic center, with social, religious, administrative and commercial functions still present. Cafés, schools, parishes, museums, housing, hotels, bookshops and nightlife rub shoulders. The district is not simply a scenography for visitors. It remains an inhabited space, frequented, traversed, sometimes contested, like all historic centers subject to tourist pressure.
Preserving without freezing
On the horizon, several challenges remain. Hurricane Beryl didn’t hit Santo Domingo with the violence suffered by Carriacou or Petite Martinique in 2024, but the southern Dominican coast did experience the effects of swell, rain and localized flooding. Gentrification, on the other hand, is transforming the social composition of neighborhoods more slowly, as in many historic centers classified as world heritage sites. Recent public programs are not limited to facades and monuments: they also include housing improvements, with the stated aim of keeping traditional residents in the historic center.
But the essential remains. When you walk along Calle Las Damas, you’re walking along one of the first legible European urban grids in the Americas. More than five centuries later, the street is still standing. In the Zona Colonial, the stone doesn’t just tell the story of the brutal beginning of a colonial order. It also forces us to look at what Caribbean societies have transformed, preserved, inhabited and passed on in spite of everything. Perhaps this is where the real question begins: how can we keep a heritage alive without freezing it?
The Zona Colonial is important because it corresponds to the historic core of Santo Domingo, one of the first permanent European urban centers in the Americas. Here you’ll find many of the founding sites of the continent’s colonial history, including the Calle Las Damas, the Catedral Primada de América, the Fortaleza Ozama and the Alcázar de Colón. This district provides an insight into how the first Spanish urban settlement in the Caribbean was organized, and how this heritage continues to be inhabited and passed on today.
Zona Colonial is located in Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic, near the Ozama River. The district is home to several major monuments linked to the early Spanish presence in the Americas. These include the Calle Las Damas, often referred to as the first paved street in the Americas, the Catedral Primada de América, the Fortaleza Ozama, the Casa del Cordón and the Alcázar de Colón. Its interest also stems from the fact that it’s not just a heritage area: the Zona Colonial remains a living district, with inhabitants, shops, cultural venues and daily life.
Calle Las Damas is one of the Zona Colonial’s most emblematic landmarks, because it is generally considered to be the first paved street in the Americas. Its name refers to the ladies of the court of María de Toledo, wife of Diego Colón, who would have walked along this street in the early 16th century. The street links several historic buildings of Spanish colonial power, and provides an insight into the urban structure of Santo Domingo as Spain organized its presence in the New World.
