The future of economic stability in the Caribbean lies in the soil, not in the boards, Dona Regis-Prosper, Secretary-General and CEO of the Caribbean Tourism Board, said this week as she addressed the audience at the opening ceremony of the 54th annual AgriFest in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, one of the Caribbean’s iconic and historic annual events.
At the three-day agriculture and technology showcase, Regis-Prosper delivered a message that positioned agriculture as central to the region’s tourism future, arguing that modern visitor demand is increasingly linked to local production, food culture and authenticity.
“Before there were hotels, airports, ports and cruise ships, there was land, soil and farmland,” Regis-Prosper said. “Tourism really started in the garden.”
AgriFest brings full hotel to St. Croix
The link between agriculture and tourism is strengthened through real-time demand data shared by U.S. Virgin Islands Tourism Director Jennifer Matarangas-King. He said AgriFest has become one of the busiest tourist weekends in the territory.
“Other than the Crucian Christmas festival, Agrifest is the biggest weekend we have,” Matarangas-King said. “Right now, every room is full. We can’t get a rental car. People are probably sleeping on the beach at this point, so it’s good for us.”
Matarangas-King said the three cruise ships are expected to carry more than 8,000 visitors over the holiday weekend, joining thousands of residents and diaspora travelers attending the event.
She also visited St. Croix’s farm-to-table identity emphasized that it was not just a marketing concept, but part of a long-standing local culture.
“It’s not a farm-to-table movement here,” she said. “This is a way of life that has been passed down for generations.”
“Agriculture is the foundation of global identity”
Regis-Prosper, whose career included 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 on St. Croix, agriculture is not a side story. It is the foundation of your global identity,” she said, referencing the historic agricultural heritage across the Caribbean, including sugar in St. Croix, bananas in St. Lucia, coffee in Jamaica and cocoa in Trinidad and Tobago.
Her remarks framed AgriFest as more than just one event, but also 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 brands. She argued that these changes place local farmers and producers closer to the center of the tourism value chain.
“Visitors don’t always remember the square footage, the decoration or the number of rooms,” Regis-Prosper said. “They remember the taste, the smell, the story, or as I like to say, telling the truth. And they remember how it made them feel.”
The CTO director disputed the idea that tourism should dominate local production, arguing instead that the long-term success of tourism 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 changes in the way the region approaches land use, consumption and food security.
Praising Agriculture Commissioner Dr Louis Petersen, Bryan said land ownership and farming remained essential for resilience and generational wealth.
“We all need to think about how we live, how we eat and what we grow,” Brian said. “Good food grows in the yard. In fact, everything grows here.”
Brian said his administration continues to secure land for conservation and agriculture, and urged young people to see farming and farming as basic assets.
CTO: “Tourism must protect the gardens”
Regis-Prosper also mentioned the CTO’s reorganization plan to emphasize sustainable and renewable tourism, emphasizing that technology must act as an ally in strengthening long-term regional resilience.
“When you add technology and strategic foresight to agriculture, you add resilience,” she said. “And resilience is something St. Croix knows well.”
Her closing message framed this issue as local guidance.
“Tourism should never replace gardens,” Regis-Prosper said. “Tourism must protect this.”
CTO Meets USVI Leadership
Prior to the opening ceremony, the CTO delegation, including Director of Sustainable Tourism Narendra Ramgulam and Chief of Staff and Office Manager Marvelle Sealy, met with Governor Bryan, Director Matarangas-King, and Director of Tourism RoseAnne Farrington to discuss regional cooperation and expanding agri-tourism links across the Caribbean.
The conference focused on strengthening partnerships between tourism and agriculture and positioning events like AgriFest as models for deeper regional integration between local production and visitor experiences.
