Caribbean Travel Marketplace to welcome United States-based buyers

The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association has introduced a pilot program to include a group of leading travel agents from across the United States to Caribbean Travel Marketplace in the Bahamas.

They will be welcomed to the popular Baha Mar resort campus in Nassau to meet with operators of Caribbean hotels, resorts and attractions.

Karen Whitt, chair of Caribbean Travel Marketplace, explained: “Throughout the years we have discussed the idea of how to incorporate the travel agent industry into our event and we have a lot of different ideas on how this could be done successfully.”

The agents will attend alongside the wholesalers and tour operators who traditionally visit the marketplace from around the world.

Whitt explained that to kickstart the process, CHTA invited a select group of top-tier agents to participate as buyers and provide feedback on the event.

“This feedback will help shape policies into the future.

“However, what we can assure is that our Caribbean suppliers are very excited about this pilot program and its potential to increase business to the region,” Whitt added.

Whitt, who leads the marketing team at the Shore Club Turks & Caicos, said that, while the agents are in Nassau they will meet with executives from a cross-section of destinations and hotels, in addition to participating in site inspections with select hotels on the island.

The 2020 edition of Caribbean Travel Marketplace, slated for the Bahamas from January 21st-23rd, is a collaboration with local partners Baha Mar, the Bahamas Hotel & Tourism Association, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation and the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board.

The event will be held at Baha Mar’s Performing Arts & Convention Centre, at one of the newest and most impressive resorts in the Caribbean.

There has been strong interest in buyer delegates with 225 delegates from 115 companies registered for the meetings from Australia, the Bahamas, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Panama, Portugal, Puerto Rico, the Russian Federation, Spain, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States.