MIAMI (December 1, 2016) – Interest is building for next year’s Caribbean Travel Marketplace, the Caribbean’s largest marketing event which will take place at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas from January 31 to February 2, 2017.
Produced by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), in collaboration with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association, the Nassau/Paradise Island Promotion Board and the Paradise Island Tourism Development
Association, the event features two days of business meetings that match buyers and suppliers through a busy program of thousands of pre-scheduled appointments.
“These business appointments set the tone for meetings, groups and vacation packaging for the entire year,” said Frank Comito, Director General and CEO of the regional association, who explained that Caribbean tourism stakeholders will meet face-to-face with wholesalers from around the world selling Caribbean vacation travel.
Comito underscored that the one-on-one pre-scheduled appointments, which all take place in one location within a 48-hour period, drive “an incredible amount of business to the region”. “It is vital therefore that companies register early to maximize their participation,” he said.
Building upon the region’s largest gathering of tour operators, wholesalers, and online travel agents, CHTA is seeing an increase in attendance of new buyer companies. The CHTA CEO confirmed the participation of six new buyer companies for the event to date, including
AZUZOO Limited and Love Holidays from the United Kingdom; Germany’s EWTC GmbH; Luxury Resorts Collection from Russia; Island Consulting from France; and Ireland’s Caribbean Blue. “Some of these companies are expanding into the region, an indication of the continued interest in and demand for the Caribbean’s diverse product,” Comito noted.
In response to high interest by hotels, CHTA has added a Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry component to Caribbean Travel Marketplace. Early indications point to strong representation by MICE buyers.
Regular registration for Caribbean Travel Marketplace is currently open through December 6, 2016 after which rates will increase.
For registration details, visit www.chtamarketplace.com/registration-fees or call +1 305 443-3040.
The Conference opens on the evening of Tuesday, January 31 and will be preceded by educational sessions that day. An event schedule is available at: http://www.chtamarketplace.com/event-schedule Caribbean Travel Marketplace is sponsored by The Islands of The Bahamas, the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association, jetBlue Getaways, MasterCard, Interval International and Sandals.
Platinum Sponsors include AMResorts, Bonnier Corporation, Marketplace Excellence Corporation, OBMI, Tambourine and Travelzoo; while Adara, Brides, Figment Design, Seekda, Simpleview, SiteMinder, The New York Times, Time Inc. and Travel Channel have joined the
event as gold sponsors.
About the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA)
The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) is the Caribbean’s leading association representing tourism interests for national hotel and tourism associations. For more than 50 years, CHTA has been the backbone of the Caribbean hospitality industry. Working together with 1,000 hotel and allied members and 32 National Hotel Associations, CHTA is shaping the Caribbean’s future and helping members to grow their businesses. Whether navigating new worlds like social media, sustainability, legislative issues, emerging technologies, data and intelligence or looking for avenues and ideas to better market and manage businesses, CHTA is
helping members on matters that matter most.
For further information, visit www.caribbeanhotelandtourism.com.