Page 18 – THE MOTIVATOR – October 2017
Puerto Rico hosts Caribbean Travel
Marketplace in 2018
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 José 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.
The Conference opens on the
evening of Tuesday, January 30 and will
be preceded by educational sessions
that day. For more information,
visit www.chtamarketplace.com or call
+1 305 443-3040.