Island Incentives

Head to the tropics for business events infused with laid-back leisure.

- Richard Newton

The Caribbean, yeah mon. We know what to expect. Beaches, turquoise water, swaying palm trees, reggae, rum cocktails, beautiful sunsets. The common cliches are so strong, we tend to overlook the region’s remarkable diversity.

Culturally, local flavors mix with historical influences from Britain, the Netherlands, France, Spain and Africa. Scenically, the islands range from sandy coral atolls to mountainous volcanic islands cloaked in tropical forest and indented with black-sand coves.

Tourism has long been one of the region’s most important economic sectors, with 25 million visitors each year generating $49 billion of business. Beach vacations, golf holidays and island-hopping cruises remain the mainstays of the industry, but, increasingly, many islands are expanding into the MICE sector.

One of the most established MICE destinations is also, for Americans, the newest: Cuba. Even before the easing of the 56-year embargo, the island hosted around 300 conferences annually, with Havana firmly placed as one of the leading MICE cities in Latin America.