Preparations are underway for the 42nd CHTA Caribbean Travel Marketplace

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourist Association’s (CHTA) Caribbean Travel Marketplace will take place on May 21 and 22 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in Jamaica. The event is a significant marketing platform for the Caribbean region, introducing Caribbean products to wholesalers, tour operators, and buyers globally. The 2022 marketplace was held in person after pandemic restrictions lifted and saw the attendance of 700 delegates from 44 countries.

The Caribbean Travel Marketplace provides the Caribbean with the opportunity to showcase the strength of its tourism sector and demonstrate innovation. According to Edmund Bartlett, the Minister of Tourism, the event indicates that the region is ready to pivot and approach tourism from a new perspective in the post-COVID era. Emphasizing the importance of responsible tourism, he stressed it as a significant part of the sector’s innovation and a way for the region to position itself as the destination of the future.

This year’s event features three sections which involve the business of tourism at the Caribbean Travel Forum, the marketing of tourism at the CHTA Travel Marketplace, and a focus on the community aspect of tourism to be observed as ‘Responsible Tourism Day’. Preferring a comprehensive approach, the event aims to address the diverse facets of the tourism industry.

CHTA President, Nicola Madden-Greig, mentioned a special effort to attract new buyer delegates, extending the outreach to Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Asia. Additionally, for the first time, the CHTA will organize a multi-destination media familiarisation trip to Cayman, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. Five selected media members will have the opportunity to experience these Caribbean islands and their unique offerings in a 10-day trip.

The CHTA is committed to promoting responsible tourism, and this commitment is reflected in some of the projects it is undertaking. It has confirmed three out of its five target projects under responsible tourism, including collaborations with the Montego Bay Marine Park, the SOS Children’s Village, and an agriculture project with Croydon Estate. Madden-Greig emphasized the need for the tourism industry to take action on issues such as climate change and sustainable development. She affirmed that the CHTA would work towards being responsible stewards of tourism communities.