ORANJESTAD, Aruba – The Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA) along with its private sector partners in the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association (AHATA), are proud to announce that the island has been selected as the host for the 28th Annual Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) Marketplace 2007 to be held January 14 – 16, 2007.
The selection of Aruba as the locale for this year’s Caribbean Marketplace is historic for two reasons: it marks the first time ever a destination was unanimously chosen by all CHA members; the first time that the host was determined more than six months prior to the event.
Widely recognized as the largest and single most important marketing event for the region, the Caribbean Marketplace attracts nearly 2000 industry professionals including noteworthy hoteliers from the Caribbean region, representatives from nearly 200 tour operators from around the world, Ministers and Directors of Tourism from other Caribbean destinations and nearly 50 members from the international travel press, all of whom are pre-qualified before receiving invitations.
It has been nearly 15 years since Aruba played host to this conference (1992) and the island is gearing up for an extremely productive Caribbean Marketplace filled with intense business transactions.
The island is an ideal location for next year’s meeting of the Caribbean’s most talented travel experts with palpable excitement surrounding major investments and expansions to Aruba’s tourism product to the tune of over $274 million. Development and renovations encompass virtually every sector of the travel industry, from the airport and cruise terminal to hotels, spas and restaurants.
“The government of Aruba fully supports this event and will contribute extensively to guarantee that it becomes another successful event for Aruba, the local community and the tourism industry”, said Minister of Tourism and Transportation, Edison Briesen. “This conference will ensure that Aruba stays in the forefront of the international tourism industry.”
Opportunity to Showcase Aruba
“We are delighted that Aruba has been chosen as the host destination for the 2007 Caribbean Marketplace. Aruba looks forward to showcasing the major investments in economic development across the island which is indicative of the strength of this market,” said managing director for the Aruba Tourism Authority, Myrna Jansen. “We know that beyond the excellent networking opportunities that the Marketplace presents, it also provides indications on how the tourism season will go, what the trends will be, and how offer will meet demand. The island and our tourism partners are eager to be an integral part of this event.”
Relaunch the Image of Aruba
“This is a perfect opportunity to re-launch the image of Aruba and show the world what a terrific destination Aruba really is – our hospitality will be our biggest selling point”, said chief executive officer and president of the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association, Jorge Pesquera.
The Marketplace is held every year in January and it sets the tone for travel packaging in the Caribbean. The event is comprised of pre-qualified members in good standing only who come together for two days of pre-scheduled business appointments where buyers and suppliers meet face-to-face to discuss existing contracts, develop packages, and contract for future business. Buyers are wholesalers, incentive buyers, meeting planners, group buyers and dive shop owners from all over the world. A range of suppliers from 36 different national hotel associations from the entire Caribbean will also be on hand for appointments with buyers.
“We are extremely pleased to come back to Aruba after a 15 year hiatus; the commitment and professionalism shown by the host association, AHATA, as well as the strong support from the Ministry of Tourism and Transportation and the ATA will ensure a highly successful event,” said CHA president, Berthia Parle.
