Brand partnerships can be effective tools for building awareness in a variety of business segments. The tourism industry is no exception, as evidenced by a slew of recently launched initiatives around the Caribbean.
These partnerships can take many forms, from celebrity branding and high-tech platforms to community-minded efforts and music videos. Whatever the strategy, the overall goal is the same: Attract the public’s attention and influence their travel decisions.
For travel advisors, these collaborations can be handy sales tools, too, since they can provide fresh opportunities to engage clients in new ways.
Here are some of the latest examples of how the Caribbean is moving beyond typical advertising to multi-layered marketing and partnerships.
Puerto Rico and Calm
In May, Discover Puerto Rico launched a partnership with wellness and meditation app Calm to offer immersive audio experiences designed to reduce stress and inspire travel by evoking the destination’s multisensory elements.
Timed with Mental Health Awareness Month in May, the “Immersive Calm Starts Here” initiative will continue through 2026.
Discover Puerto Rico partnered with the Calm app to offer guided meditations featuring soundscapes from El Yunque rainforest.
Credit: 2025 Discover Puerto RicoComponents include an “Adventures in Puerto Rico” sleep story, narrated in both English and Spanish by composer and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, that recounts a journey through Puerto Rico’s lush landscapes, accompanied by natural sounds and music.
Also part of the collaboration: guided audio meditations set on a Puerto Rican beach and in the El Yunque rainforest; soundscapes recorded in El Yunque and along the Tanama River; and “Breathe Bubble,” a guided breathwork exercise. Each of these features can help agents connect clients to immersive, wellness-oriented aspects of a Puerto Rico vacation before, during and after their trip.
Jamaica, visuEats and Usain Bolt
Culinary tourism and sports are both playing a role in the Jamaica Tourist Board’s latest partnerships.
The organization has teamed up with visuEats, a digital platform that offers interactive menus and restaurant content, on a five-year program that integrates visuEats onto the VisitJamaica.com website. As a result, travelers and advisors alike will be able to find more detailed culinary information about the island, including restaurants, menus and food festivals.
The Jamaica Tourist Board offers various activities for travelers such as Bamboo River Rafting.
Credit: 2025 Jamaica Tourist BoardThe power of celebrity is also being used to lift the destination’s profile. In May, the tourist board appointed Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt as the nation’s global tourism ambassador. He’ll serve as the face of a new international campaign that spotlights Jamaica’s culture, heritage and natural beauty.
Antigua, Elite Island Resorts and Give It Up
In Antigua, Elite Island Resorts is using music to build excitement and brand awareness through a new song and video from South Florida pop-punk band Give It Up.
The video for the appropriately titled “Island Time” was filmed entirely in Antigua, with multiple scenes at The Verandah Antigua and Pineapple Beach Club Antigua, both of which are part of Elite Island Resorts’ portfolio. The sun-soaked visuals and energetic vibe depict the island and the hotels in ways that traditional advertising generally doesn’t.
Baha Mar, McEnroe and Celebrity Chefs
Baha Mar, the resort complex in the Bahamas that’s home to Grand Hyatt, SLS and Rosewood properties, aims to entice travelers by affiliating itself with big names in the worlds of sports and cuisine.
Opened in late 2024, the John McEnroe Tennis Center carries the name of the legendary tennis pro and features six hard courts, two Har-Tru clay courts and six pickleball courts. The facility will host the 2025 Baha Mar Cup from Dec. 11-14, with McEnroe himself present, along with Bahamian tennis star Mark Knowles.
Foodies, meanwhile, may be interested in The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival, which will take place Oct. 22-26, with Marcus Samuelsson, Dario Cecchini, Daniel Boulud and Carla Hall among the celebrity chefs in attendance.
Kind Traveler Around the Caribbean
Responsible travel platform Kind Traveler is partnering with several hotels in the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America through its Every Stay Gives Back program. The goal: to support local charities and help fund meals, education and other activities for communities in need.
Jamaica’s Treasure Beach
Credit: 2025 Jamaica Tourist BoardThe initiative makes it easier for travelers to have a positive impact on the destinations they visit by providing built-in opportunities. Contributing properties include Sublime Samana Hotel & Residences, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World in the Dominican Republic. Sublime Samana supports the Dominican Joe Foundation by donating $1 per night to fund snacks and juice for disadvantaged students.
In Belize, Matachica Resort & Spa donates $3 per stay to provide school lunches via the Holy Cross Education Foundation.
A Regional Boost from the U.N.
There may be larger, more regional collaborations in the works. Earlier this year, a memorandum of understanding was signed by UN Tourism and CAF, a development bank for Latin America and the Caribbean, with the goal of promoting a shared regional brand to attract investment and encourage future partnerships.
