The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission, through the World Bank-funded Unleashing the Blue Economy of the Caribbean (UBEC) Project, has successfully concluded its participation in the 2026 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS), held from October 28 to November 1, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States.
The initiative brought together the tourism authorities of Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to showcase the three countries as a unified, multi-destination yachting destination, highlighting diverse marine tourism experiences and opportunities for visitors to explore the southern Eastern Caribbean through a single yachting itinerary.
Recognized as the world's largest in-water boat show, FLIBS provided an international platform for the participating countries to engage directly with yacht owners, charter brokers, marine tourism operators, industry professionals, and prospective visitors. The 2025 edition attracted more than 100,000 attendees, over 1,000 exhibitors representing 52 countries and more than 1,300 boats, underscoring the event’s significance within the global boating and yachting industry.
Three Islands, One Premier Yachting Experience
Throughout the five-day event, representatives from the three tourism authorities worked collaboratively to promote their respective destinations while highlighting the advantages of experiencing Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines as part of a single Caribbean yachting itinerary.
The joint promotion showcased the distinctive yet complementary attractions of the three countries, including Grenada's picturesque anchorages, vibrant culture, and marine services; Saint Lucia's iconic Pitons, scenic coastline, and established yachting facilities; and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines' spectacular archipelago, secluded bays, and world-renowned island-hopping experiences.
The collaboration demonstrated the value of presenting the destinations collectively, allowing each country to highlight its individual strengths while contributing to a stronger regional presence in a competitive international yachting market.
Maria Fowell, Senior Technical Specialist for Tourism at the OECS Commission, highlighted the strategic value of positioning the Eastern Caribbean as a connected yachting destination.
“The three countries have identified yachting as a key area to be highlighted. This collaboration provides greater exposure for our Eastern Caribbean region, particularly within the international yachting and boating industry.
The collective approach also provided opportunities for the tourism authorities to exchange knowledge, strengthen professional relationships and identify areas for continued cooperation to advance the shared ambition of promoting sustainable marine tourism.
Building Partnerships and Strengthening Industry Connections
Beyond showcasing their destinations, the participating tourism authorities used FLIBS to engage directly with key stakeholders in the international yachting industry, gather market intelligence and explore opportunities for future partnerships.
Shanai St. Bernard, Nautical Development Manager at the Grenada Tourism Authority, highlighted the importance of face-to-face engagement with yacht charter brokers and other industry professionals to understand market trends and identify opportunities to strengthen Grenada's position in the international yachting market.
“The great thing about the boat show is we get to meet the brokers one on one that are brokers for a lot of the yacht companies so we get a lot of insight into how Grenada is trending, what we can do to improve, as we want to get more people down to the south and more people to Grenada.”
These engagements offered opportunities to better understand industry trends, visitor preferences and the expectations of yacht charter companies, providing valuable insights to support future destination marketing and tourism product development.
Similarly, Cassie-Anne Laidlow, Experience Development Officer Responsible for Marine and Sailing at the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority, described the experience as highly productive, particularly in identifying new opportunities for collaboration.
“Its an amazing experience. We have met persons who have been to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; we have met persons who are coming soon; we have also met some key players and stakeholders in the marine industry in the yachting and sailing world; we have identified some key partnerships and some opportunities we would like to explore.”
The interactions demonstrated the potential of international boat shows to facilitate business connections, strengthen destination awareness and support the continued development of the region's marine tourism sector.
Denise Mauricette, Maritime Officer at the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, expressed appreciation for the support provided through UBEC and emphasized the strength of promoting the three destinations together.
“I really want to thank the OECS, in particular the UBEC project under the World Bank, for continuously giving us the opportunity to present ourselves as a southern Caribbean experience. I always believe that there is power in collaboration and presenting not just Saint Lucia but our two other member states. It really shows a united front and encourages others that it may be three destinations, but we are one together.”
Her remarks underscored the importance of regional integration in tourism promotion and the potential for collaborative marketing to create greater international visibility for the participating countries.
Destination Seminar Showcases the Eastern Caribbean's Marine Tourism Offerings
A key feature of the participation was the destination seminar, which gave representatives from Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines a platform to present their yachting and marine tourism offerings to the international boating community. The presentations highlighted the range of experiences across the three countries, including marina facilities, sailing routes, anchorages, coastal attractions, marine excursions, and cultural experiences.
By showcasing each destination's distinctive characteristics and how their offerings complement one another, the seminar reinforced the Eastern Caribbean's appeal as a connected, multi-island yachting destination.
The session also created opportunities for dialogue with attendees, allowing representatives to respond to questions, share destination information and encourage greater interest in exploring the Eastern Caribbean. Together with engagement at the exhibition booths, the seminar strengthened the visibility of the participating countries and provided another avenue to connect with the international boating market.
Advancing Sustainable Tourism Through the UBEC Project
The joint participation at FLIBS was supported through the Unleashing the Blue Economy of the Caribbean (UBEC) Project, a World Bank-funded initiative being implemented in Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, with regional coordination by the OECS Commission.
UBEC seeks to strengthen the sustainable development of the Blue Economy through improved governance, institutional capacity, economic opportunities and environmental sustainability in key sectors, including fisheries, marine and coastal tourism, and waste management.
The participation in international boat shows falls under Component 1 of UBEC: Strengthening Governance, Policies and Capacity Building. This component supports initiatives to strengthen the policy and institutional environment for sustainable Blue Economy development, including efforts to enhance the competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability of the tourism sector.
Through the OECS Commission's Economic Development Unit, work is also advancing to strengthen the regional policy framework for sustainable tourism, with a focus on economic transformation, environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and resilience across OECS Member States.
The collaborative promotion of Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines at FLIBS complements these objectives by strengthening regional cooperation, increasing international market visibility and supporting opportunities for businesses throughout the marine tourism value chain.
Yachting tourism offers significant economic benefits beyond the marina and charter sectors, creating opportunities for Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), including tour operators, dive businesses, restaurants, accommodation providers, transportation services, marine technicians, provisioning companies and other service providers.
By supporting the international promotion of the region's yachting offerings, UBEC is contributing to an enabling environment for marine tourism development and a broader vision of sustainable and inclusive Blue Economy development.
Building on Previous International Boat Shows
The 2026 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show marked the third collaborative boat show engagement supported through UBEC and the participating tourism authorities.
In 2025, the partnership participated in the Annapolis Boat Show in Maryland, United States, where representatives promoted the Eastern Caribbean's yachting destinations to boating enthusiasts, prospective visitors and marine industry stakeholders. This was followed by the 64th Antigua Charter Yacht Show in December 2025, providing another opportunity to engage with yacht charter brokers, captains and industry professionals within the Caribbean's established charter yacht market.
These engagements have helped establish a foundation for continued regional promotion, strengthen relationships within the international marine tourism industry and reinforce the value of presenting the Eastern Caribbean as a connected yachting destination.
Building on this experience, FLIBS 2026 provided another opportunity to expand the region’s international reach and strengthen the collective positioning of the southern Eastern Caribbean as a premier yachting destination.
Strengthening Regional Tourism Through Collaboration
The successful participation of Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines at FLIBS 2026 demonstrated the value of a coordinated regional approach to tourism promotion. By combining their efforts, the three countries showcased their individual strengths while presenting the wider, unique appeal of the Eastern Caribbean as a multi-destination yachting experience.
As the OECS Commission and its Member States continue to advance the Blue Economy agenda, initiatives like these provide a platform to strengthen regional partnerships, expand international market connections, and create opportunities for tourism businesses across the region.
Three Islands. One Premier Yachting Experience.
