VI Crowned CTO Nex-Gen Champions
A Virgin Islands student team won the 2026 Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) Regional Nex-Gen Tourism Showcase in New York with a proposal called the Caribbean Green & Blue Economy Tourism Hub. The model links marine restoration with land-based sustainability, using tourism revenue to fund conservation while involving local communities.
A team representing the Virgin Islands was named champion of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) Regional Nex-Gen Tourism Showcase on Thursday, June 4, 2026, during Caribbean Week in New York. The competition challenged tertiary-level student innovators aged 18 to 30 from CTO member countries to pitch sustainable, practical business proposals that deliver social, economic and environmental impact.
The Virgin Islands was chosen as the winner from a field of finalists that included St Lucia and the Turks & Caicos Islands. The winning entry, titled the Caribbean Green & Blue Economy Tourism Hub, proposes an integrated model that connects marine restoration with land-based sustainability.
According to the CTO’s Facebook post summarising the event, the hub is built around eco-tourism and educational experiences. Tourism revenue would directly fund conservation efforts while healthier ecosystems, in turn, strengthen the destination’s appeal. In a Facebook post congratulating the team, Premier Dr the Honourable Natalio D.
Wheatley (R7) described the model as "bold" and "self-sustaining": "This bold, self-sustaining model connects marine restoration with land-based sustainability, where tourism revenue directly funds conservation efforts, and healthier ecosystems create an even stronger destination.
Built on eco-tourism and educational experiences, the hub promotes responsible growth while actively involving local communities and ensuring shared benefits." For BVI residents, the victory highlights the islands’ potential to lead on sustainable tourism solutions that balance economic growth with environmental protection.
Student-led ideas like the tourism hub could translate into new training and employment opportunities for local youth, increased support for marine restoration projects, and fresh partnerships between the public sector, conservation groups and community businesses. While the CTO announcement emphasised the concept and community benefits, organisers did not disclose specific funding or implementation plans for the winning proposal.
The recognition, however, raises the profile of the Virgin Islands in regional tourism innovation forums and could attract interest from investors, development partners and academic institutions. Local stakeholders — including government agencies, tourism operators and conservation organisations — may now consider how elements of the Green & Blue Economy Tourism Hub could be piloted in the territory.
For the students involved, the award is both an accolade and a platform to pursue further development of their idea, with the backing of national officials and regional tourism networks. The CTO Nex-Gen Showcase continues to spotlight young innovators and practical solutions aimed at fostering resilient, community-centred tourism across the Caribbean.
Primary source: VINO