The Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization has its long-awaited new top executive. 

Saint Lucia native Dona Regis-Prosper has been appointed as the organization’s new Secretary General and chief executive officer. 

Regis-Prosper’s appointment will take effect on Sept. 1, 2023; she will be the first permanent CEO for the regional tourism organization since the departure of former Secretary General Hugh Riley back in 2019. Regis-Prosper is currently serving as the general manager of the Antigua Cruise Port; her previous experience includes serving as CEO of the Tortola Pier Park in the British Virgin Islands and as director of marketing and product development for the Saint Lucia Air and Seaports Authority, among others stops. 

“We are extremely pleased to have Dona Regis-Prosper come on board to lead the CTO. Her vast experience, strategic insight, and impressive track record in the tourism sector make her an exceptional choice to propel our organization into a new era,” said Kenneth Bryan, Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization. 

The CTO said Regis-Prosper emerged from a pool of more than 60 applicants. 

She takes over for Acting Secretary General and CEO Neil Walters, who is also the CTO’s Director of Finance and Resource Management. 

“I am deeply honored to have been selected to serve as Secretary General of the CTO and am grateful for the trust and confidence the CTO Council of Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism and the Board of Directors have placed in me,” said Regis-Prosper. “I eagerly look forward to working with our dedicated team and diverse stakeholders to promote the Caribbean tourism sector, champion sustainability, and continue to foster impactful relationships and deliver ROI for our members.”