Appointment Requests Now Open; Educational Sessions Added
The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) is raising the global profile of Caribbean Travel Marketplace providing opportunities for hoteliers attending the event to find new contacts and sources of business. CHTA is targeting wholesalers in Latin America and emerging destinations as well as tour operators specializing in niche markets. Caribbean Travel Marketplace is scheduled Jan. 21-23, 2016 at the Atlantis, Paradise Island in The Bahamas.
Building upon the existing and longstanding portfolio of global operators conducting business in the Caribbean, CHTA is focusing on securing the participation of Latin American tour operators in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Panama, Peru and Venezuela and emerging destinations Russia, India, Scandinavia, Ukraine and the Middle East.
With the growth and importance of the niche travel segments to its membership, CHTA is inviting niche tour operators to attend Caribbean Travel Marketplace. CHTA is working with National Hotel and Tourism Associations across the Caribbean to identify and attract tour operator representatives from top niche markets for the region.
“We look forward to bringing Caribbean Travel Marketplace back to The Bahamas in 2016 as an event that will expand the Caribbean brand globally with the introduction of new tour operators to our region’s diverse hospitality product,” said Emil Lee, President of CHTA.
Buyer-Supplier Appointments
Buyers and suppliers who register for Caribbean Travel Marketplace can now request their appointments with each other through the CHTA website. In 2015, buyers and supplier companies pre-scheduled 11,888 appointments. Appointment-taking delegates can submit preferences through 4 p.m. Dec. 29, 2015. Delegates are encouraged to prioritize their appointment requests as scheduling is based on priority. Once finalized, appointment-taking delegates will receive notification to view the schedule online in The Passport.
Educational Seminars
CHTA has expanded the program schedule to include “Revenue Maximizing” sessions aimed at increasing revenue for hotels and Caribbean travel suppliers through supplemental revenue options, increased bookings and yield-management strategies. The sessions will commence on Jan. 21, prior to the official opening ceremony.
“The seminars offered at Caribbean Travel Marketplace will complement revenue-generating opportunities and maximize the impact of one-on-one meetings, while providing tips on the latest market trends,” Lee noted.
CHTA will also host the Leadership Conference for hotel association executives Jan. 18-19 and the committee and Board of Directors meetings Jan. 20-21, all at the Atlantis, Paradise Island.
Sponsors
In addition to CHTA, Caribbean Travel Marketplace 2016 is staged by The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Paradise Island Promotion Board and The Bahamas Hotel & Tourism Association, along with host sponsors Interval International and MasterCard; platinum sponsors Adara Media, AMResorts, Bonnier Corp., OBMI, Tambourine and Travelzoo; and gold sponsors AskMe Inc., Best Western International, Blue Group Media – Time Inc., BRIDES and BRIDES.com, Condé Nast Traveler, The Knot, Simpleview, The New York Times, Travel Channel and Travel Click.
