Barbados will host the 41st edition of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s (CHTA) Caribbean Travel Marketplace, May 9-11, 2023.
CHTA President Nicola Madden-Greig announced that the influential trade association’s largest annual event, which brings together buyers and sellers of the region’s tourism products and services, will be staged in Barbados for the first time in the organization’s history.
“CHTA has a very strong relationship with both public and private sector stakeholders in Barbados, and as we position the region’s top earner for robust growth this year, we are delighted to lock arms with our Bajan partners to drive business to the Caribbean,” she stated.
Ian Gooding-Edghill, Barbados’ Minister of Tourism and International Transport, said the Barbados tourism industry was undergoing a major renaissance in the post-COVID environment, and the timing could not be better to welcome Caribbean Travel Marketplace to local soil.
“We are honored to host such a preeminent gathering of tourism stakeholders from around the world,” said Minister Gooding-Edghill, who believes the meeting aligns with Barbados’ value offerings, which appeal, among others, to the very important MICE market.
Caribbean Travel Marketplace 41 will build on the success of last fall’s 40th edition, which was held in Puerto Rico.
A highlight of the Puerto Rico meeting was the launch of the first Caribbean Travel Forum & Awards, the second edition of which will be held in Barbados on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, ahead of the official opening ceremony of Caribbean Travel Marketplace. The Forum will once again focus on the business of tourism, while business appointments will be held on Wednesday, May 10 and Thursday, May 11.
“Our private sector partners, together with the BTMI and the Ministry of Tourism and Transport, are keen to showcase Barbados’ exceptional product and experiences and we cannot wait to welcome you to our island home,” said Renée Coppin, Chairman of the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association.
Meanwhile, Madden-Greig noted that this year’s Marketplace will also provide unique access to the Eastern Caribbean for buyers and tour operators as the region places a strong focus on the revival of multi-destination travel.
Marketplace will be held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.
Registration details will be available soon.
For more information, visit www.chtamarketplace.com.
About the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA)
The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) is the Caribbean’s leading association representing the interests of national hotel and tourism associations. For more than 60 years, CHTA has been the backbone of the Caribbean hospitality industry. Working with some 1,000 hotel and allied members, and 33 National Hotel Associations, CHTA is shaping the Caribbean’s future and helping members to grow their businesses. Whether helping to navigate critical issues in sales and marketing, sustainability, legislative issues, emerging technologies, climate change, data and intelligence or, looking for avenues and ideas to better market and manage businesses, CHTA is helping members on issues which matter most.
For further information, visit www.caribbeanhotelandtourism.com.
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About Barbados
The island of Barbados offers a unique Caribbean experience steeped in rich history and colourful culture, and rooted in remarkable landscapes. Barbados is the home of two of the three remaining Jacobean Mansions left in the Western hemisphere, as well as fully functional rum distilleries. In fact, this island is known as the birthplace of rum, commercially producing and bottling the spirit since the 1700s. Each year, Barbados hosts several world-class events including the annual Barbados Food and Rum Festival; the annual Barbados Reggae Festival; and the annual Crop Over Festival, where celebrities such as Lewis Hamilton and its very own Rihanna are often spotted. Accommodations are wide and varied, ranging from picturesque plantation houses and villas to quaint bed and breakfast gems; prestigious international chains; and award-winning five-diamond resorts. In 2018, Barbados’ accommodation sector captured 13 awards in the Top Hotels Overall, Luxury, All-Inclusive, Small, Best Service, Bargain, and Romance categories of the ‘Traveler’s Choice Awards’. And getting to paradise is a breeze: the Grantley Adams International Airport offers plenty non-stop and direct services from a growing number of U.S., U.K., Canadian, Caribbean, European, and Latin American gateways, making Barbados the true gateway to the Eastern Caribbean. Visit Barbados and experience why for two years in a row it won the prestigious Star Winter Sun Destination Award at the ‘Travel Bulletin Star Awards’ in 2017 and 2018. For more information on travel to Barbados, visit www.visitbarbados.org, follow on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/VisitBarbados, and via Twitter @Barbados.