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Caribbean Marketplace 2011 a Resounding Success

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica – Caribbean Marketplace 2011 got off to a great start. The event, hosted at the newly constructed Montego Bay Convention Centre from January 16 – 18, 2011, is recognized as the premier tourism marketing event of the region, showcasing the best of the Caribbean.

The event was well supported by many Caribbean tourism delegates and other invited guests who were hosted at Jamaica’s newly built Montego Bay Convention Centre.

This was the first event to be held at the state-of-the-art facility, which provides in excess of 50,000 square feet of exhibition space, over 20,000 square feet of banquet space and more than 11,000 square feet of meeting space.


L-R: John Taker, Purchasing Director, Virgin Holidays, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Amanda Willis, Managing Director, Virgin Holidays, and Jamaica’s Prime Minister Hon. Bruce Golding.

JAMAICA’S TOURISM OFFICIALS PLEASED WITH GROWTH IN 2010

On the heels of an exciting 2009/2010 tourist season, evidenced by a 4.7 percent increase in visitors, Jamaica continues to experience record tourist arrivals. Preliminary figures for January 1 through 15, 2011, indicate that arrivals were up by almost 14 percent, making this the best-ever year to date for that period.

In 2010, Jamaica experienced a 5.8 percent growth in the U.S. market, and a 7 percent increase in the thriving Canadian market, both contributing to the 3.2 percent increase in tourism earnings. Tourism officials further announced the “Drive for Five” campaign is in full-swing to attract five million visitors in five years, bringing in US$5 billion in earnings.


On hand to share in the opening night festivities are (left to right): John Lynch, Jamaica’s Director of Tourism; Alec Sanguinetti, Director General and CEO of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA); John Taker, Purchasing Director, Virgin Holidays; Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism; Amanda Willis, Managing Director, Virgin Holidays; Hon. Bruce Golding, Prime Minister of Jamaica; Josef Forstmayr, President of the CHTA; and Carrole Guntley, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Jamaica.

CARIBBEAN MARKETPLACE SHOWCASES THE BEST OF THE REGION

With the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) recording an increase in buyer registration from new wholesalers in Russia, Canada, the U.S. and the U.K for Caribbean Marketplace 2011, there is clear indication of growing international interest in marketing the Caribbean. Lauded as the Caribbean’s premier travel and tourism business convention, Caribbean Marketplace continues to be a successful platform to showcase the best of the region’s tourism products.


(left to right): David Shields, Deputy Director of Tourism, Marketing, at the Jamaica Tourist Board; Josef Forstmayr, President of the CHTA; Aram Zerunian, General Manager, Half Moon, A RockResort; Wayne Cummings, President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA); Minister Bartlett; Mark Jeffrey, Area Vice President, RockResorts Florida & the Caribbean; Director Lynch; and Alec Sanguinetti, Director General and CEO of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA).


Pleased with the turnout for Caribbean Marketplace are (left to right): George deMercado, Director of Membership for the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA); Carrole Guntley, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Jamaica; Alec Sanguinetti, Director General and CEO of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA); Wayne Cummings, President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA); Camille Needham, Executive Director of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA); Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism; and Jennifer Griffith, Permanent Secretary in Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism.

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