The future of Caribbean economic stability lies not in the boardroom but in the soil, Caribbean Tourism Organization Secretary-General and CEO Dona Regis-Prosper said this week as she addressed a capacity crowd at the opening of the 54th annual AgriFest on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, one of the Caribbean’s signature — and historic — annual events.

Speaking at the three-day showcase of agriculture and technology, Regis-Prosper delivered a message that positioned farming as central to the region’s tourism future, arguing that modern visitor demand is increasingly tied to local production, food culture and authenticity.

“Before there were hotels, airports, seaports (and) cruise ships, there was land, soil and cultivation,” Regis-Prosper said. “Tourism really began in a garden.”

AgriFest Draws Full Hotels on St. Croix

The link between agriculture and tourism was reinforced by real-time demand data shared by U.S. Virgin Islands Tourism Commissioner Jennifer Matarangas-King, who said AgriFest has become one of the Territory’s busiest tourism weekends.

“Outside of the Crucian Christmas Festival, Agrifest is the biggest weekend that we have,” Matarangas-King said. “Right now, every room is filled. You can’t get a rental car. I think people are probably sleeping on the beach at this point — so that’s good for us.”

Matarangas-King said three cruise ships were expected to deliver more than 8,000 visitors over the holiday weekend, joining thousands of residents and diaspora travelers attending the event.

She also emphasized that St. Croix’s farm-to-table identity is not a marketing concept but a long-standing part of local culture.

“Farm-to-table is not a movement here,” she said. “It’s a way of life that spans generations.”

“Agriculture Is the Foundation of Your Global Identity”

Regis-Prosper, whose career includes work on St. Croix-based energy projects in the 1990s, praised the U.S. Virgin Islands for maintaining agriculture as a core part of its economic and cultural identity.

“Here in St. Croix, agriculture is not a side story. It is the foundation of your global identity,” she said, referencing historic agricultural legacies across the Caribbean, including St. Croix’s sugar, St. Lucia’s bananas, Jamaica’s coffee, and Trinidad and Tobago’s cocoa.

Her remarks framed AgriFest as more than an event, describing it as a regional reckoning with identity and resilience at a time when the Caribbean’s tourism sector continues to grow.

Travelers Want Taste and Storytelling

Regis-Prosper said today’s travelers are increasingly motivated by sensory and cultural authenticity rather than traditional luxury markers — a shift that she argued places local farmers and producers closer to the center of the tourism value chain.

“Visitors don’t always remember square footage, décor or thread counts,” Regis-Prosper said. “They remember taste, smell, storytelling — or, as I like to say, truth-telling. And they remember how they felt.”

The CTO chief challenged the idea that tourism should eclipse local production, arguing instead that tourism’s long-term success depends on strengthening the region’s agricultural base.

Governor Bryan: Land, Food Security and Generational Wealth

U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan Jr. used the platform to call for a shift in how the Territory approaches land use, consumption and food security.

Praising Agriculture Commissioner Dr. Louis Petersen, Bryan said land ownership and cultivation remain essential to resilience and generational wealth.

“We all need to think think about how we live, how we eat and what we grow,” Bryan said. “Good food grows in the yard. Actually, everything grows here.”

Bryan said his administration continues to acquire land for preservation and agricultural use, urging young people to see farming and cultivation as a foundational asset.

CTO: “Tourism Should Protect the Garden”

Regis-Prosper also referenced the CTO’s Reimagine Plan, which highlights sustainable and regenerative tourism, emphasizing that technology should serve as an ally in strengthening long-term regional resilience.

“Agriculture plus technology plus strategic foresight equals resilience,” she said. “And resilience is something that St. Croix knows well.”

Her closing message framed the issue as a regional directive.

“Tourism should never replace the garden,” Regis-Prosper said. “Tourism should protect it.”

CTO Meets with USVI Leadership

Prior to the opening ceremony, the CTO delegation — including Narendra Ramgulam, Deputy Director of Sustainable Tourism, and Marvelle Sealy, Executive Assistant and Office Manager — met with Governor Bryan, Commissioner Matarangas-King and RoseAnne Farrington, Deputy Commissioner of Tourism, to discuss regional cooperation and expanding agro-tourism linkages across the Caribbean.

The meetings focused on strengthening partnerships between tourism and agriculture, and positioning events like AgriFest as a model for deeper regional integration between local production and visitor experience