Durrant Pate/Contributor

Some 1,000 delegates have been confirmed for this year’s Caribbean Travel Marketplace, which is being hosted at the Montego Bay Convention Center in May.

More than 150 buyer companies have already signed on to attend with 86 buyer companies including 14 new companies from the European market onboard for the 42nd annual staging of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) signature event, which will be held from May 20-23. 

It brings together buyers and suppliers for the Caribbean’s biggest industry, tourism.

Delegates from various regional destinations ranging from Antigua and Barbuda to the Turks and Caicos Islands have confirmed their attendance. Participants in the conference will be drawn from hotel companies, tour operators, airlines, tourist boards, meeting planners, travel advisors and media professionals. 

New additions to this year’s conference

This year’s event will have some new additions, including the incorporation of meetings and incentive industry with the first-ever Caribbean Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) Exchange, hosting 20 of the top meeting planners in the industry.

Other innovations include the new Marketplace Responsible Tourism Day, which gives members and attendees a chance to “directly give back to the community. This, is in addition to  with signatures events like the Caribbean Travel Forum, which focuses on “Visioning a New Tourism Landscape for the Caribbean,” and an awards luncheon for the Caribbean Hotelier of the Year and the Destination Resilience award, among others.

Speaking with Caribbean Journal, CHTA Acting CEO and Director General, Vanessa Ledesma remarks, “we’re thrilled to be heading back to Jamaica for the Caribbean Travel Marketplace! The response from buyers has been really promising.” In reference to the MICE Buyers, Travel Advisors, and Wedding Planners, Ledesma notes, “it’s a fantastic chance to meet a diverse range of qualified buyers and industry players all in one spot, saving you on time and travel expenses.”

“While Marketplace contributes to the destination as a whole, Responsible Tourism Day ensures a direct impact on the Montego Bay Community. Going forward, Responsible Tourism Day will be a permanent part of the Marketplace program,” she explained.