Interest is building for next year’s Caribbean Travel Marketplace, the Caribbean’s largest marketing event which will take place at Atlantis Paradise Island in The Bahamas from January 31 to February 2, 2017.

Produced by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), in collaboration with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association, the Nassau/Paradise Island Promotion Board and the Paradise Island Tourism Development Association, the event features two days of business meetings that match buyers and suppliers through a busy programmme of thousands of pre-scheduled appointments.

“These business appointments set the tone for meetings, groups and vacation packaging for the entire year,” said Frank Comito, director general and CEO of the regional association, who explained that Caribbean tourism stakeholders will meet face-to-face with wholesalers from around the world selling Caribbean vacation travel.

Comito underscored that the one-on-one pre-scheduled appointments, which all take place in one location within a 48-hour period, drive “an incredible amount of business to the region”.

“It is vital therefore that companies register early to maximize their participation,” he said.

Building upon the region’s largest gathering of tour operators, wholesalers, and online travel agents, CHTA is seeing an increase in attendance of new buyer companies. The CHTA CEO confirmed the participation of six new buyer companies for the event to date, including AZUZOO Limited and Love Holidays from the UK; Germany’s EWTC GmbH; Luxury Resorts Collection from Russia; Island Consulting from France; and Ireland’s Caribbean Blue.

“Some of these companies are expanding into the region, an indication of the continued interest in and demand for the Caribbean’s diverse product,” Comito noted.

In response to high interest by hotels, CHTA has added a Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry component to Caribbean Travel Marketplace. Early indications point to strong representation by MICE buyers.

Regular registration for Caribbean Travel Marketplace is currently open through December 6, 2016 after which rates will increase.

Watch a follow up segment about the Caribbean Travel Marketplace, January 2016 here. (Video via Tourism Today)