BASSETERRE: A cocktail and networking reception at Palms Court Gardens set the stage for a significant shift in Caribbean tourism leadership, as St. Kitts welcomed dignitaries from across the Eastern Caribbean for the 9th OECS Council of Ministers: Tourism 2026.
The gathering, held following the opening ceremony at the St. Kitts Marriott Beach Resort on February 11, 2026, brought together a cross-section of regional leaders. The evening marked a defining moment as The Hon. Marsha T. Henderson, Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, International Transport, Employment and Labour, and Urban Development, officially assumed the role of incoming Chairwoman of the OECS Council of Ministers: Tourism.
Present at the conference were H.E. Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the OECS, and Senator the Honourable Adrian Thomas, Minister for Tourism of Grenada and outgoing Chairman.
Among those in attendance were Hon. Charles Fernandez, Minister for Tourism of Antigua and Barbuda; Hon. Luce Hodge-Smith, Junior Minister for Tourism of the British Virgin Islands; Tivanna Wharton, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, St. Kitts; and John Hanley, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Nevis.
Representatives from Guadeloupe, Anguilla, and the BVI also joined the delegation, underscoring the breadth of regional cooperation on display.
The reception offered a relaxed but purposeful space for dialogue on the sustainable development of tourism across the Eastern Caribbean — with St. Kitts stepping firmly into the spotlight as both host nation and new council chair.