SAN JUAN - Puerto Rico will host the 2018 edition of Caribbean Travel Marketplace, the Caribbean's largest marketing event, at the Puerto Rico Convention Center from January 30 to February 1, 2018.
Produced by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Convention Center District Authority, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, and the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association, next year's event will feature two days of business meetings that match hotels and destinations with online travel agents, tour operators and Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) planners through a busy program of thousands of pre-scheduled appointments.
"We are honored to host the most important Caribbean tourism event of the year as we evolve our position as a regional leader in the meetings and conventions business," said Omar Marrero, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Convention Center District Authority.
"CHTA's strategy to bring more MICE planners to next year's Marketplace is very well aligned with our objective to continue to grow this crucial category," said Marrero, who is also the Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority and the Puerto Rico Public-Private Partnerships Authority.
"Puerto Rico takes great pride in announcing that this prestigious travel event will be returning to our island," said Jose Izquierdo, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC). He said that "PRTC looks forward to working with CHTA officials, its members and all on-island partners to welcome delegates to 'La Isla del Encanto' (Island of Enchantment)."
"This is an excellent opportunity to partner on the ground with our regional affiliate," said Miguel Vega, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rico Hotel & Tourism Association. He noted that CHTA plays a key role in driving business to the destination and the region by developing and maintaining strong ties with global buyers interested in the Caribbean. "Caribbean Travel Marketplace is a marquee event that provides an excellent opportunity for stakeholders here to network with some of the world's leading travel professionals and, more importantly, share what we offer on our islands to the world."
In a joint statement, CHTA's President Karolin Troubetzkoy and CEO Frank Comito said: "We look forward to returning to Puerto Rico and partnering with both the public and private sectors in such an incredibly welcoming destination." The CHTA officials, whose organization represents the interests of national hotel and tourism associations, noted they anticipate working with local partners, including the team at Meet Puerto Rico and destination management companies, to attract global meeting planners as well as buyers who specialize in niche markets such as spas and wellness.
In 2017, Caribbean Travel Marketplace, hosted by The Bahamas, attracted 114 buyer companies from 20 countries. More than 1,100 delegates from 31 countries participated in more than 10,000 pre-scheduled appointments.
