Tour
operators, members of the hospitality
and tourism sectors along with local and
international media gathered at the Convention Center to discuss
travel and tourism trends, as well as relevant industry news.
This
year’s event hosted participants from over 20 countries who made
the 2012 convention one of the most successful yet, increasing the
number of business
meetings by 15% compared to 2011.
A
total of 684 tourism professionals were at this year’s convention,
including 308 buyers and 376 suppliers. A record-breaking
4,312 business meetings took place at Cancun
Travel Mart, not including site inspections and press trips
organized by the area’s many hotels and all-inclusive properties.
Several representatives of Mexican and Mexican Caribbean tourist
destinations also attended the event.
“We
thank our business partners and the industry at large for the success
of the 25th edition of the Cancun TravelMart,” said Jesus
Almaguer, Director General of the Cancun CVB. “This event has
strengthened over the last 25 years making it one of the most
important industry events in Mexico and Latin America. This year
alone we welcomed delegates from 20 countries.”
The
official opening ceremony was presided by Roberto Borge Angulo,
Governor of Quinatana Roo; Jorge Mezher, Mexico’s Subsecretary of
Tourism; Carlos Gonzalez Hernandez, Secretary of Tourism of Quintana
Roo; Julian Ricalde Magana, Mayor of the Municipality of Benito
Juarez; Jesus Almaguer Salazar, Director General of the Cancun CVB;
Gabriel Andrade, FONATUR Delagate; Armando de la
Cruz Uribe Valle, President of the Mexican Hotels
and Motels Association; Sergio Gonzalez Rubiera, Executive President
of the Quintana Roo Travel
Agencies Association; and host Rodrigo de la Pena
Segura, President of the Cancun
Hotel Association.
Attendees
to The Cancun Travel Mart included major tour
operators and travel agencies from the United
States,
Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Dominican
Republic,
France, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Italy, Mexico, Nigeria, Paraguay,
Peru, Spain, England, Russia and Venezuela. Tourism providers from
Quintana Roo, the Yucatan, Puebla, Guerrero and Mexico City as well
as hotel
chains with
properties in states throughout Mexico also attended the event.
