Caribbean industries, August 2026: a roundup
Ports going digital, Trinidad's tourism targets, the GlobalTT creative push, tight gas and new payment options: five Caribbean industries in one read.
In the space of a few months, Trinidad and Tobago launched a digital port system, set a goal to double tourism's share of the economy, and rolled out online clearance for yachts. Across the region, ports, payments and energy all moved at once.
Here is what happened in five industries, and why each matters if you run a business here.
Ports: paperwork goes online
Caribbean ports have stopped debating whether to go digital and are now working out how fast. That is the main finding of the 2026 Caribbean Port Digitalisation Report from the Port Management Association of the Caribbean, which surveyed ports in 18 territories.
Most ports (84 percent) have or are installing a terminal operating system, the software that runs a container yard. The top priorities now are port community systems and maritime single windows. Both let shipping agents, customs and port authorities share one set of digital documents, so cargo isn't held up by paper. Funding is the biggest obstacle, followed by skills.
Trinidad and Tobago moved early. On 23 March 2026, the trade ministry launched its Port Community System. Shipping agents can now file vessel arrival and departure forms online, and later phases will cover cargo manifests and release. Our ports post has more detail.
Tourism: a target of 12 percent
In May, Trinidad and Tobago's Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism published its year-one report. Tourism made up about 6 percent of GDP in 2025, and the government wants to double that to 12 percent by 2030, which it values at US$1.7 billion.
The ministry picked six priority areas: eco tourism, sport, yachting, entertainment and culture, business travel, and health and education tourism. Its report also lists nine committed hotel projects, with 577 new rooms and 741 permanent jobs, due by 2027 or 2028.
Yachting shows how far the sector has fallen. Yacht arrivals dropped from about 2,600 in 2000 to under 800 in 2025. In June, the country launched SailClear, which lets crews file customs and immigration details online before arrival. The ministry says it cuts clearance from about four hours to 15 minutes. The target is 3,000 yacht arrivals by 2030.
Creative industries: one agency for exports
In April 2025, Trinidad and Tobago merged its investment, export and creative agencies into Global Trinidad and Tobago (GlobalTT). The idea is one front door for investors and exporters, with creative industries treated as a serious export.
GlobalTT now runs the Film Commission and its production rebate, which pays back up to 35 percent of local film spending plus 20 percent for local crew. Our film rebate post explains how it works. In August it hosted Techstars Startup Weekend Trinidad and Tobago, won by GigLink, a platform that connects musicians with clients.
Elsewhere, Jamaica's Amber Group opened a national AI lab with plans for a Jamaican language model.
Energy: still short of gas
Trinidad and Tobago is still the English-speaking Caribbean's energy base, but it has less natural gas than its plants can use. LNG output rose slightly in 2025, yet the oldest liquefaction unit at Atlantic LNG, Train 1, is being taken apart.
New gas fields are coming, but slowly. Since almost all of the country's electricity comes from gas, supply matters for every business, not just the plants at Point Lisas. Our energy post covers the projects and timelines.
Payments: more ways to get paid
Guyana said its Fast Pay system for instant bank transfers would go live on 2 June 2026. An official launch notice has not yet been published, as we explain in our Fast Pay post.
In Trinidad, Wam, a wallet registered with the Central Bank, offers a hosted checkout page businesses can add to their websites. Instant bank transfers help with everyday payments between people and suppliers. Hosted checkout helps online shops accept cards and wallets without building their own payment system.
At a glance
| Industry | What happened | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | Trinidad's port system launched in March | Cargo phases and published clearance times |
| Tourism | Target of 12% of GDP by 2030; SailClear live | Yacht arrival numbers in 2027 |
| Creative | GlobalTT runs the film rebate | How many rebates are paid |
| Energy | Train 1 removal; new gas projects | First gas from new fields |
| Payments | Fast Pay announced in Guyana; Wam checkout in Trinidad | Confirmation that Fast Pay is live |
What to watch next
The useful test for all five industries is numbers, not launches. Look for published clearance times at Trinidad's ports, yacht arrival counts, rebate payouts and Fast Pay transaction figures. If you sell to any of these sectors, the businesses that adopt the new systems first are the ones most likely to need new suppliers.