The Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has further strengthened its commitment to develop sports tourism across the Caribbean by employing Deanna Weekes as its new Tourism Partner Manager. Deanna is an experienced tourism professional who will work with CPL’s tourist board partners to create packages for travelling fans to visit all CPL host countries during the 2024 tournament.

According to figures from the UNWTO, sports tourism currently represents 10% of global tourist flow, with this expected to grow to 12% in 2024. With sports tourism being such a key economic driver for the industry, the Caribbean has much to gain by growing its share of this lucrative sector. In 2024, CPL will be working even more closely with partners across the region to develop sports tourism and build valuable market share.

Pete Russell, Republic Bank CPL’s CEO, said: “We are tremendously excited to be able to begin offering fans travel packages so they can watch CPL teams in six wonderful locations across the Caribbean. We are blessed with hugely passionate fans and by employing a dedicated tourism manager who will work with hotels, airlines and tourist boards, we will be making it easier than ever for fans to travel to watch CPL cricket. With the ICC T20 World Cup in the Caribbean in June this year, 2024 will be a bumper year for sports tourism and CPL look forward to continuing the momentum in August and September.”

Deanna Weekes, Republic Bank CPL’s newly appointed Tourism Partner Manager, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity to be involved in the biggest annual sporting event in the Caribbean. I am looking forward to working with all CPL’s tourism partners to build on the existing strong relationships to push CPL’s impact on the regional economies to another level.”