Castries, Saint Lucia. July 23, 2026. The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) have renewed their partnership to strengthen health in tourism, reinforcing the OECS as a safer, more resilient and sustainable destination.
The renewed Letter of Agreement (LoA), signed on July 9, 2026, commits both organisations to the continued implementation of CARPHA’s Regional Tourism and Health Program (THP) across OECS Member States through December 2030. Signed by the Executive Director of CARPHA, Dr Lisa Indar, and the Director General of the OECS, Dr Didacus Jules, the Agreement represents the next phase of a partnership that has already delivered measurable results in strengthening public health systems, enhancing tourism resilience, and supporting sustainable economic development throughout the region.
Tourism is a key pillar of many OECS economies, contributing between 24 -74 %of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and accounting for almost half of total employment. As one of the world’s most tourism-dependent regions, safeguarding the health of residents and visitors is fundamental not only to public health, but also to economic resilience, investor confidence and destination competitiveness.
Delivering remarks at the LoA Signing Ceremony, Director General of the OECS, Dr Didacus Jules, emphasised that the Agreement builds on the OECS Commission’s longstanding collaboration with CARPHA across public health, health security and regional resilience. He stated: "Our Sustainable Tourism Policy recognises that competitiveness, resilience and sustainability are inseparable. A destination is only as attractive as it is safe. Health security, then, is not an add-on to tourism. It is one of its foundational pillars. When we strengthen surveillance, raise health and safety standards, and build capacity across our Member States, we are not choosing between protecting our people and protecting our economy. We are doing both with a single instrument. But our collective resilience is only as strong as the weakest system we tolerate among us. Through this renewed Agreement, our aim is to ensure that no Member State is left behind, that implementation is coordinated, even, and sustainable across the whole of the OECS".
CARPHA Executive Director, Dr Lisa Indar, highlighted the broader regional impact of the renewed partnership. She stated: “Through this agreement, CARPHA and the OECS Commission commit to a simple but powerful chain of real outcomes. Strengthened travellers’ health delivers healthier, safer tourism; healthier, safer tourism builds a more resilient, competitive and marketable OECS destination; and a resilient tourism sector secures the economic sustainability of the OECS sub-region. A strong tourism and health programme in the OECS also translates into a healthier, safer Caribbean, further advancing regional health security”.
The renewed Agreement also advances the objectives of the OECS Sustainable Tourism Policy, which recognises that resilience, competitiveness and sustainability are mutually reinforcing. By integrating public health more deeply into tourism systems, the partnership strengthens one of the essential pillars of sustainable tourism development: healthy communities, safe destinations and confident travellers.
The renewed Agreement builds on the success of the first Letter of Agreement signed in 2021. Since then, the Tourism and Health Programme has achieved significant progress across the OECS, including:
- Official launch of the THP in Saint Lucia (September 2021), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (November 2023), Antigua and Barbuda (December 2024) and Grenada (May 2026).
- Registration of 278 tourism entities in the Tourism and Health Information System (THiS), including hotels, tour operations and food and beverage entities.
- Implementation of Mass Gathering Surveillance Systems in 5 OECS Member States: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Feb 2024), Antigua and Barbuda (Apr 2024), Saint Lucia (April 2024), Dominica (October 2024) and Grenada (May 2026).
- Training of approximately 3000 tourism professionals in prevention and control of infectious diseases in the hospitality sector.
- Advanced Food Safety certification for 59 participants in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Saint Lucia.
- Recognition of 56 tourism facilities across seven Member States through the Healthier Safer Tourism Award.
These achievements demonstrate the value of a coordinated regional approach that brings together Ministries of Health and Tourism and private sector stakeholders to strengthen preparedness and resilience. Through this renewed Agreement, CARPHA and the OECS Commission will continue expanding implementation across the region through:
- The Tourism and Health Information System (THiS) - designated in the LoA as the primary regional platform for real-time surveillance, reporting and response to travel-related public health events, providing early warning across hotels, restaurants and tourism facilities;
- The Mass Gathering Surveillance System (MGSS) - safeguarding carnivals, festivals and sporting events, when visitor volumes and health risks peak;
- The Caribbean Vessel Surveillance System (CVSS) - extending early warning to the cruise and maritime sector, a critical artery of OECS tourism; and
- The Regional Integrated Early Warning Surveillance System (RIEWSS) - connecting tourism-based surveillance to CARPHA’s wider regional early warning architecture, so that signals detected in the visitor economy trigger rapid, coordinated public health action.
- Capacity building in the prevention and control of diseases threats in the tourism sector
Recognising that Member States are at different stages of implementation, the renewed Agreement adopts a phased approach that supports progressive onboarding based on national priorities and readiness. A detailed implementation plan will be developed within three months of signature and updated annually to ensure coordinated delivery and measurable results.
Established under the Treaty of Basseterre in 1981, the OECS was founded on the principle that its Member States can achieve together what none can accomplish alone. The renewed partnership with CARPHA reflects that principle in practice by demonstrating how regional institutions can work together to protect public health, strengthen tourism resilience and support sustainable development.
Together, CARPHA and the OECS are ensuring that health remains a defining feature of the Caribbean tourism brand, protecting visitors, strengthening communities and supporting a more resilient and sustainable regional economy for years to come.
Learn more about CARPHA’s Regional Tourism and Health Program (THP), please visit https://carpha.org/THP/Background for more information.
Photo Captions:
Photo Caption: Executive Director of CARPHA, Dr Lisa Indar and Director General of the OECS, Dr Didacus Jules following the signing of the renewed Letter of Agreement between both agencies.
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