FCCA Travel and Cruise Magazine – 2st Quarter 2025

In the ever-evolving landscape of tourism, one truth remains clear: partnerships are not just beneficial—they are essential. Nowhere is this more evident than in the vibrant and culturally rich destinations of the Caribbean and Latin America. These regions hold immense cultural assets, yet often struggle with visibility on the global stage. Strategic partnerships—particularly those that bridge the gap between tourism and culture—can be transformative for communities, economies, and travelers alike.

Cultural tourism partnerships are all around us, but far too many opportunities are lost. The root of these missed connections often lies in a misunderstanding of partner realities. Traditional tourism providers and cultural organizations frequently operate with opposing drivers: one for profit, the other for preservation and public service. Yet this contrast, when embraced rather than resisted, can create dynamic synergies.

At Aquila, we’ve learned that great partnerships don’t demand equal footing—but they do require mutual benefit. Whether collaborating with a museum to bring cruise guests off the beaten path, or working with a tech company to enhance guest service training, our most successful partnerships are grounded in a few key principles that other destinations might find valuable.

Best Practices for Building Strong Tourism Partnerships

1. Begin with Clarity.
Before entering any partnership, it’s vital to ask:

  • What are your goals and objectives?
  • What do you hope to achieve?
  • What do you bring to the table—and what are your gaps?

Too often, partnerships are pursued based on vague notions of synergy, without concrete understanding of what success looks like for each party. Sustainable partnerships are built on clearly defined, mutually beneficial goals.

2. Focus on Complementary Strengths.
The most powerful collaborations happen when partners acknowledge their own limitations and seek out strengths in others. For example, a small artisan cooperative may lack digital reach but offer authentic cultural experiences, while a tour operator might bring marketing power but seek new stories to tell. Together, they create a more complete and compelling offering.

3. Communicate Early and Often.
From the outset, open and consistent communication is essential. It builds trust, keeps expectations aligned, and allows challenges to surface before they become barriers. This doesn’t just apply to project updates—transparent dialogue about values, capacity, and constraints creates a strong foundation for cooperation.

4. Measure, Review, Improve.
Evaluation isn’t a post-mortem—it’s part of the journey. Successful partnerships embed performance measures from the start and create space for regular check-ins. Benchmarking helps track return on investment, assess partner contributions, and inform future growth. Continuous improvement should be part of the partnership culture.

Rethinking Culture as a Core Tourism Asset

Today’s travelers are more experience-driven than ever. They want to connect with the soul of a destination, not just its surface. That means culture can no longer be treated as an “add-on”—it must be core to tourism strategy. From food and festivals to heritage and storytelling, local culture is the differentiator that today’s markets are hungry for.

Public-private partnerships between tourism operators and cultural institutions can lead to transformative investments. They bring funding to preservation efforts, modernize visitor experiences, and allow tourism providers to authentically reflect the communities they operate in. But this requires rethinking how we value and present culture—not just as entertainment, but as a living expression of identity.

Recent Aquila Partnerships: A Look at What’s Possible

Aquila has always thrived through partnerships. In the past year alone, we’ve seen exciting developments:

  • Technology and Service Excellence: We’ve partnered with a virtual reality company, Winged Whale Media, to co-develop training modules that enhance guest experience through immersive technology. These tools are now being piloted in destinations like Antigua and offer a glimpse into the future of service training.
  • Cross-Market Collaboration: By working with partners across regions, we’ve been able to bring new training programs into emerging destinations, expanding market reach while respecting local context. Our most recent partnership with Gondens International to reach markets into South America.
  • Culture-Driven Product Development: Through partnerships with local farmers, museums, and cultural sites, we’ve co-created shore excursions that celebrate local heritage and share authentic stories with cruise guests.

In every case, the key has been listening. Asking the right questions. Building trust. And being open to different ways of working.

Final Thought: Let’s Not Miss the Moment

There is no greater loss in tourism than a missed opportunity for meaningful partnership. As destinations seek to differentiate themselves and tell their stories in more compelling ways, partnerships will be the bridge between intention and impact. By embracing culture not as a challenge to commercialization, but as a foundation for it, we can redefine what tourism success looks like—for visitors, for communities, and for generations to come.

Beth Kelly Hatt is the Founder of the Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence, the FCCA’s exclusive training partner, with over 40 years in business. For more information about our programs and initiatives, reach out to Beth@CruiseExcellence.com or see www.cruiseexcellence.com