Local entrepreneurs must be involved from the start of tourism product development to ensure they earn income from the industry, Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority Chief Marketing Officer Charmaine Spencer told a regional conference in Guyana.

Spencer addressed the issue during a panel on “From Roots to Revenue: Food, Culture and the Creative Economy in Caribbean Tourism” at the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference 2026.

According to a post by Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Live, Spencer said entrepreneurs should be included before tourism marketing campaigns are designed, with opportunities to help develop the products and experiences being promoted.

She called for fair access to promotion and distribution, practical business support and direct opportunities for local businesses to sell to visitors. She also stressed the need to track where visitor spending goes and who benefits.

Spencer’s central message was that Caribbean culture should generate economic opportunities for its creators, alongside its role in attracting tourists.

Food, music, art, fashion, festivals and cultural experiences should be developed, packaged and marketed as integral parts of the tourism offering, creating income, ownership and opportunities for Caribbean people.

Source: Antigua News Room Spencer Calls for Local Businesses to Benefit From Tourism in Antigua and Barbuda.