Philipsburg, Sint Maarten. September 16, 2025. The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) made a milestone achievement in advancing regional health security through the successful hosting of two first-of-their kind regional workshops on Regional Caribbean Vessel Surveillance System (CVSS) in Action and Public–Private Partnership Approach for the same to Promote Healthier and Safer Tourism in the Caribbean, facilitated through funding from the Pandemic Fund Grant and the 11th EDF Programme of Support for Health Security Strengthening. The Sint Maarten Tourism and Health Program (THP) was also officially launched.
The workshops, held on 11–12 September 2025 at Simpson Bay Resort, Sint Maarten, brought together over 50 stakeholders from 14 CARPHA Member States (CMS), alongside representatives from four major cruise corporations/lines, the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Day 1 of the workshop welcomed 48 participants from the 14 CMS, including five (5) Chief Medical Officers, Senior Medical Officers of Health, Port Health Officers, and Surveillance Officers. Day 2 brought together 57 participants, including the CMS representatives from Day 1, eight (8) delegates from the cruise industry comprising representatives from four of the Caribbean’s leading cruise corporations, collectively representing 10 cruise brands and the FCCA. PAHO was also represented during the second workshop.
The key objectives were to promote healthier and safer tourism in the Caribbean through strengthening preparedness and response to health events linked to maritime travel through CARPHA’s novel, digital, early warning CVSS system and minimum regional guidelines, as well as to build stronger public private partnership with the cruise industry stakeholders for the same.
The Caribbean is the most tourism dependent region in the world, with cruise travel serving as a cornerstone of economic activity, accounting for approximately two-thirds of Caribbean visitors. In 2024, the region recorded 33.3 million cruise visitors, representing an 11 % increase over the previous year. Early 2025 figures already show an approximately 6% increase in passenger arrival when compared to the equivalent 2024 period. While this growth elevates economic resilience for Caribbean nations and strengthens livelihoods through sustainable employment, it can also bring heightened vulnerability to infectious disease threats, as seen with COVID-19 and outbreaks of norovirus and acute gastroenteritis. To address these challenges, CARPHA developed an updated, novel Caribbean Vessel Surveillance System (CVSS), a regional early warning and response tool that generates automatic, real-time alerts of illness clusters detected aboard cruise ships before arrival at Caribbean ports. The workshop introduced Phase II of the CVSS, featuring a new user-friendly web application with advanced capabilities. The upgraded system allows countries to electronically enter or upload data from the Maritime Declaration of Health (MDH) form directly into the platform. Automatic alerts are generated when illness thresholds are exceeded, giving national authorities the opportunity to rapidly identify and respond to public health threats as well as alert other countries along a ship’s itinerary if necessary, giving them advanced awareness of a possible public health threat.
Workshop 1 only involved the participants from the 14 MS. Participants held focused discussions on the public health dimensions of cruise surveillance, the enhanced CVSS platform, heard experiences from Member States that piloted the system, reviewed documentation of the cruise vessel approval process and developed draft harmonized regional minimum requirements for healthier, safer cruise tourism. Workshop 2 broadened the discussion by incorporating the perspectives of cruise industry partners focusing on developing and strengthening public private partnerships for healthier safer cruising. Representatives from the cruise industry examined the challenges faced by both countries and cruise lines in navigating issues such as MDH submission, ship to country communication, the approval process for granting pratique and the minimum guidelines for healthier safer cruise tourism prepared by CARPHA Member States.
The Executive Director of CARPHA, Dr. Lisa Indar, emphasised the importance of health in tourism and the need for a harmonised approach: “The health of the Caribbean region is the wealth of the region; and it is deeply interconnected with tourism given that the Caribbean is the most tourism dependent region in the world. Safeguarding the health of the region involves both the local and visitor populations, for protecting and advancing the resilience and sustainability of our tourism product and our economies; and thus cannot be done by heath alone, but as a shared responsibility between all players in health and tourism, requiring a harmonised approach of adhering to a shared set of scientific standards, procedures, and decision-making processes.”
The St. Maarten Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication, the Honourable Grisha S. Heyliger highlighted that: "A weak public health system puts tourism at risk. Conversely, a strong data-driven health system protects our visitors, our citizens, and our economy. That is why we must no longer view health and tourism as separate silos. Instead, we must adopt what CARPHA has wisely advocated for – an integrated approach to tourism and health.”
Endorsing the remarks by Dr. Indar and Deputy Prime Minister Heyliger, The Honourable Richinel Brug, Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour added, “Protecting tourism means protecting health, and protecting health means saving the very stability of our societies. That is why initiatives, like the Tourism and Health Program supported by CARPHA are so critical, with tools like the Tourism and Health Information System and the Caribbean Vessel Surveillance System, we will no longer be acting after outbreaks occur.”
Both Member States and cruise lines strongly commended CARPHA’s leadership for convening this first-of-its-kind meeting. Key outcomes, representing a strong collective step forward in improving our regional health security architecture and protecting both residents and visitors included:
- Consensus from CMS to use the CVSS stool as a regional standard for their cruise ship surveillance
-
Strengthened public-private partnerships with cruise lines to enhance health security in Caribbean
-
Development of Draft Regional Minimum Guidelines for Healthier, Safer Cruise Tourism, promoting harmonized regional standards
-
Renewed commitment from countries, cruise lines, and tourism stakeholders to collaborate on surveillance and preparedness for public health threats
The Next Steps are:
- Development of contact points/listing for CMS and cruise lines to foster better communication.
- CARPHA to convene quarterly and yearly meetings with health stakeholders from CMS and cruise line representatives key to building trust and establishing long-term partnerships.
- Activation of CVSS coordination teams where countries can lend support to others that may require assistance.
- Cruise lines to explore using the CVSS to directly send MDH forms to CMS counterparts.
- Official launch and implementation of the CVSS tool across CMS, as endorsed by CMOs.
- Continued efforts on the interoperability of CVSS with current maritime/surveillance systems.
- Continued advancement and development of the platform through recommendations from all stakeholders.
The discussions brought a greater appreciation and understanding of the experiences and operations of cruise partners related to cruise tourism in the Caribbean, as well as the ways in which countries can better collaborate and treat with public health threats linked to cruise ships. The interactions facilitated strengthened engagement with private sector cruise line partners to ensure alignment with CVSS protocols and regional health security. Chief Executive Officer, of FCCA, Mrs. Michele Paige addressed the regional stakeholders, emphasising the importance of collaboration among stakeholders: “The future lies in standing side by side with our partners, making decisions together that benefit all stakeholders and ensuring a stronger, healthier, safer and more prosperous Caribbean.”
Launch of the Tourism and Health Program in Sint Maarten. CARPHA and the Government of Sint Maarten also officially launched the Tourism and Health Programme (THP) on September 11th, making Sint Maarten the first Dutch Caribbean country to adopt the initiative.
The THP is the world’s first comprehensive programme linking health and tourism. It provides Member States with CARPHA’s two novel, electronic visitor-based surveillance systems – the Tourism and Health Information System (THiS) for stay-over visitors and the CVSS for cruise ships – along with regional guidelines, training, and the Healthier, Safer Tourism Award for facilities that meet CARPHA’s standards for healthier safer tourism.
The Honourable Richinel Brug, Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, welcomed the programme: “Protecting tourism means protecting health and protecting health means saving the very stability of our societies. With tools like the Tourism and Health Information System and the Caribbean Vessel Surveillance System, we will no longer be acting after outbreaks occur but strengthening early warning systems and ensuring real-time surveillance and coordinated responses.”
Director of Tourism, Ms. May Ling Chun, described the launch as a commitment: “This evening’s launch is more than a ceremony. It is a commitment that tourism will stand shoulder to shoulder with health – that we will share data, strengthen training, and support surveillance. When public health falters, tourism falters. When public health is strong, our destination thrives.”
Dr. Indar described the launch as a milestone for the region: “This launch represents not just a milestone for Sint Maarten, but a testament to the collaborative spirit that fuels our region’s progress in public health and tourism. Healthy and safe tourism is not optional – it is essential for resilient economies.”
About CARPHA’S Pandemic Fund Project
CARPHA is the Executing Agency for its Pandemic Fund Project, with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as the Implementing Entity. The goal of this Project, which spans from 2024 to 2026, is to Reduce the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (PPR). The objective is to support the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic PPR surveillance and early warning systems, laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and at country levels. This will reduce the transboundary spread of infectious diseases and improve regional and global health security. CARPHA is the beneficiary of the PF project and CARPHA Member States are the participants. Learn more via CARPHA’s Pandemic Fund webpage.