Puerto Rico will host annual Travel Marketplace

The Caribbean’s largest tourism showcase is drawing nearer, with organizers stating the event will coincide with an increasing number of people now vacationing in the region, which has often struggled since the onset of the pandemic.

The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association’s Travel Marketplace will be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Oct. 3-5, attracting among others hoteliers and tourism destination representatives.

Participants in a recent webinar promoting the show said the Caribbean’s tourism fortunes are improving while adding those with a stake in it shouldn’t be complacent.

“The region is rebounding  enormously… But we need to keep our guard,” Karen Whitt of the Turks and Caicos’ Hartling Group told webinar viewers.

Whitt urged those involved in the Caribbean’s tourist trade to energetically promote “your destinations and properties,” adding CHTA Travel Marketplace will “showcase how vibrant the Caribbean is.”

This year’s show will be an in-person affair, drawing buyers from such far-flung countries as Latvia and India.

It will be the 40th edition of the show, with Whitt promising it will be a “very robust” version.

The show generally rotates between San Juan, Nassau and Montego Bay, and Whitt said Puerto Rico “really pulls out all the stops” for show delegates.

Attendees will be able see some of the Puerto Rican tourism draws that are “new and exciting,” she continued.

Karolin Troubetzkoy, executive director of St. Lucia’s Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain resorts, labelled CHTA Marketplace the only trade show that is “Caribbean-centric.”

Troubetzkoy added that she’s eager to see industry colleagues in person. “I’m tired of all these Zoom calls.”

She said past Travel Marketplaces have helped her appreciate the diversity of a region she said is suited for such disparate groups as families, scuba divers and birdwatchers.

Discounted hotel rates are available for show delegates.

More information is available at chtamarketplace.com.