Jamaica’s hosting of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s (CHTA) flagship sales event, Caribbean Travel Marketplace 42, from May 20- 23, has been hailed as “a resounding success” by Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett.
With some 1,200 delegates from more than 45 countries Mr. Bartlett said: “We’re very pleased with the response from our suppliers and buyers alike, also the countries in the region that have made this great event successful, meaningful and the largest staging ever.”
The Minister was excited to learn that Caribbean Travel Marketplace 42 had well over 12,750 scheduled appointments with parties exploring the signing of contracts, noting that “it signals the full post COVID-19 recovery of tourism in our region.”
He expressed that the event, held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, “brought new ideas, an opportunity to look at best practices and to give support to each other in building the industry.”
With tourism recognized as the lifeblood of the economy of the Caribbean, Minister Bartlett highlighted that most islands were running well ahead of 40% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) dependence on tourism, with employment and foreign exchange primarily generated by the industry “and therefore huge portions of our investments are also driven by tourism.”
He posited that in addition to building the capacity of the people to deliver better, “we also must create proper platforms to showcase the assets that we have, and Marketplace is a great opportunity for that.”
CHTA President, Nicola Madden-Greig concurred that “all the feedback so far has been exceptional. Jamaica has been the best host and we did a great job.”
She disclosed that a lot of new elements were added in the 42nd renewal of Marketplace, including the first ever MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) groups exchange, with a special itinerary for meeting planners. “We also had our first multi-destination fam trip, which is celebrating the fact that we’re trying to push regional tourism and letting people understand that when you come to the Caribbean you can enjoy more than one destination.”
She said good airlift was now available linking St Lucia, Barbados, Jamaica and going onto Cayman as it continued to grow.
She said there was a big demand for Caribbean tourism with a lot of people interested in investing “but we have to be ready for that investment; we have to be able to build out the right product, continue to offer the right experiences, engage the local community and ensure that tourism works for everyone.”
Both Minister Bartlett and Mrs. Madden Greig commended the organizations and individuals whose efforts made the event a major success. Caribbean Travel Marketplace, the region’s premier trade event, was hosted jointly by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and the CHTA, along with various tourism partners.
