24 July 2025
By Publisher Ray Carmen
From the shimmering shores of St. Lucia to the regional helm of Caribbean tourism, Dona Regis-Prosper is charting a bold new course for the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). On September 1, 2023, she officially stepped into history — becoming the first woman ever to lead the 25-member intergovernmental body tasked with shaping the region’s most vital economic engine: tourism.
Breaking Barriers and Raising Standards
Dona Regis-Prosper’s appointment as Secretary-General and CEO of the CTO isn’t just a milestone — it’s a message. The Caribbean’s tourism leadership is evolving, and with over two decades of experience across St. Lucia, Jamaica, the BVI, and Antigua, Regis-Prosper brings both insight and authority to the table.
With an MBA in business and professional certifications in marketing and sustainable tourism, she is more than qualified — she’s visionary. Her past leadership roles include:
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CEO of Tortola Pier Park, BVI
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General Manager of Antigua Cruise Port
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Director of Marketing at the St. Lucia Air and Seaports Authority
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Director of Business Development at Margaritaville Caribbean, Jamaica
Each role sharpened her ability to balance regional identity with global tourism trends — a skill the CTO now leans on in this new era of post-pandemic recovery and strategic growth.
A Listening Leader with a Regional Vision
At her official CTO debut in the Cayman Islands, Regis-Prosper emphasized her first priority: listening. “My first order of business,” she said, “is to engage deeply with member states, understand their needs, and co-create a path forward.”
That path includes:
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Multi-destination marketing – inviting travelers to experience the Caribbean as a collective, not just one island.
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Tourism resilience and crisis management – building frameworks to withstand economic and environmental shocks.
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Air access and connectivity – addressing one of the region’s most persistent challenges.
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Cultural heritage and tourism standards – promoting authenticity while maintaining global competitiveness.
Her “listening tour” across member states isn’t symbolic — it’s strategic, grounding future policy in real-time insights.
The Woman Behind the Title
Though her résumé reads like a roadmap of Caribbean leadership, Regis-Prosper is refreshingly down-to-earth. Described by colleagues as “strategic, results-driven and collaborative,” she represents a modern, inclusive leadership style that resonates in today’s regional and global spaces.
Her rise to the CTO’s top post isn’t just about gender — though it is historic. It’s about competence meeting opportunity. She represents the future of Caribbean tourism leadership: data-driven, people-first, and regionally grounded.
Looking Ahead
The CTO’s guiding motto — “One Sea, One Voice, One Caribbean” — has never felt more relevant. Under Regis-Prosper’s leadership, the organization is poised to move from mission statement to measurable results.
With sustainability at its core, innovation as a driver, and unity as a theme, the CTO — and the Caribbean — are in good hands.
Dona Regis-Prosper isn’t just changing tourism in the Caribbean — she’s changing what leadership looks like.And the waves she’s making? They’re only just beginning to roll in.
