40th Caribbean Travel Marketplace Kicks Off Next Week
More than 700 delegates from over 26 countries are expected to attend the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association’s 40th Caribbean Travel Marketplace in San Juan, Puerto Rico next week.
“This will be quite a special Marketplace because there will be a whole new dynamism generated by the new attendees meeting the regulars and together meeting with new buyers from newer regions,” CHTA president Nicola Madden-Greig tells PressToday. “The COVID-19 pandemic has prevented people from meeting face-to-face for a long time so we expect Marketplace to generate a lot of exchanges between regular attendees and newer participants. We can already feel the excitement of anticipation from buyers, suppliers, government officials and members of the media.”
Marketplace is the region’s largest B2B tourism event. This year new buyers have registered from countries such as Latvia, Poland, Mexico and India.
“[Marketplace] has been a primary force behind the explosive growth of tourism in the region for the past 40 years,” Madden-Greig says. “It’s a one-stop opportunity to showcase the region’s rich diverse tourism product, to profile the latest destination upgrades and new offerings, and to expand our appeal as many destinations, hotels, and attractions are broadening their products and services to meet the interests of the growing environmentally conscious and experientially-minded traveller.”
After two years and counting of “serious Zoom exhaustion,” Madden-Greig says she’s looking forward to gathering in person with industry colleagues for the event.
“For all its advantages, virtual meetings are limited so the in-person interactions are immensely valuable for its interactivity and ability to convey nuances and to be able to negotiate effectively,” she says.
Look forward to more coverage from San Juan as PressToday’s Ann Ruppenstein will be on scene.
Pictured at the recent CTO conference are Vanessa Ledesma, CHTA’s acting CEO and director general; Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s minister of tourism and CHTA President Nicola Madden-Greig, who will all be taking part in next week’s schedule of events.
