Kingston, Jamaica – Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill is expressing pleasure at the resounding success of the recently concluded Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) 2012 trade show in marketing Jamaica’s tourism product and stimulating new business locally.
Terming it “a prime opportunity for local suppliers,” the Minister said, “JAPEX 2012 has provided players in the industry with a major boost and has set the stage for continued success in the winter season.” He noted that “our arrival figures continue to show growth in the sector with preliminary estimates indicating that this was the best September in our history for stopover visitors with 94,627 visitors, which represents an increase of 6.5% over September 2011 when there were 88, 838 stopover visitors. I am convinced that JAPEX will contribute to the continuation of this positive trend.”
He went on to congratulate the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) on a job well done in bringing together some of Jamaica’s most important tourism partners.
The premiere trade show, which was staged at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort and Spa in Ocho Rios, from September 30 to October 2, saw a total of 370 supplier delegates meeting with a total of 192 buyer delegates, of which Jampro had 68 buyers and 107 suppliers. The remaining 124 buyers were from overseas and a total of 3,000 appointments were made.
While there was a strong representation of delegates from the traditional markets of Canada, the USA, and Europe, the non-traditional markets of Latin America and Japan also had a presence, with Latin America having a strong showing. “JAPEX 2012 has met all our expectations,” said Director of Tourism, John Lynch in underscoring the success of the trade show. He said “JAPEX continues to fuel a great deal of interest in the overseas market and supports our efforts to attract an impressive number of visitors here each year. This local show is one means by which we have managed to maintain such a strong presence in the international tourism market.”
President of the JHTA, Evelyn Smith says, “feedback from our members is that they had good meetings with travel partners and as such we are anticipating that this will translate into good results for their businesses in the upcoming season.” She added that “JAPEX continues to benefit a cross section of our membership and offers a tremendous opportunity for, in particular, our smaller members to interact with tour operators at home here in Jamaica.”
JAPEX began 22 years ago and is a collaborative effort between the JHTA and the JTB. This vibrant event provides an ideal forum for leading suppliers of Jamaica’s tourism product to network, negotiate and meet under one roof with travel wholesalers and tour operators from around the world.
