Guyanese-American award-winning journalist and media executive Melissa Noel will host the 2026 State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC), as Guyana prepares to welcome the Caribbean tourism industry’s leading stakeholders for the first time.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) announced that Noel will lead the conference, scheduled for October 5-9 under the theme “Tourism Futures: Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive.”

Noel, founder and chief content officer of Mel&N Media Group, brings more than 15 years of experience in journalism, media and entertainment. Her career includes correspondent roles with One Caribbean Television and CBS Puerto Rico, as well as reporting and production positions with NBC News and ABC News. She most recently served as senior news and travel editor at ESSENCE.

CTO Secretary-General and CEO Dona Regis-Prosper said Noel’s journalistic experience, cultural insight and connection to Guyana and the wider Caribbean make her well suited to host the event.

Noel, who has Guyanese heritage, said she was honoured to return to Guyana to host SOTIC 2026 and help highlight the region’s stories, creativity and innovation.

She was named CTO Diaspora Journalist of the Year in 2024 and 2025 and is also a Pulitzer Center grantee and Ethel Payne International Reporting Fellow.

SOTIC 2026 will bring together tourism ministers, industry executives, policymakers, academics, media and young leaders to examine the future of Caribbean tourism.

Discussions will focus on tourism intelligence, emerging technology, climate resilience, regenerative tourism, destination competitiveness and inclusive growth.