First virtual Caribbean Travel Marketplace successfully concludes

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

The first virtual iteration of Caribbean Travel Marketplace has been conducted successfully. More than 6,000 meetings were held over three days, giving buyers from 20 countries the chance to connect with suppliers representing more than 150 Caribbean hotels and tourism-related businesses. CTM 39, held from May 11 to 14, was especially meaningful for Caribbean hospitality professionals who have been working with a lot of dedication on enhancing their products from a health safety perspective.

Vanessa Ledesma, Acting CEO and Director General, Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), organiser of the annual Caribbean Travel Marketplace said in a statement that the virtual format helped introduce the Caribbean to new buyers and travel advisors from over 20 markets that have not been able to attend in the past. She mentioned that CHTA is looking forward to continuing the momentum as it move the region’s hospitality sector forward together.

Pablo Torres, President, CHTA added that the past 15 months have been the ultimate test of resiliency and ability to bounce back and bounce back is exactly what they are doing. He mentioned that traveler interest in the Caribbean is surging and the region is back and ready to open for business better than ever. He shared that while the pandemic disrupted Caribbean tourism and the impact will be felt for years to come, the disruption will prove to be an interruption as the Caribbean is by its own resiliency.

Frank Comito, Special Advisor and Former CEO and Director General, CHTA elaborated on the region’s handling of the pandemic. He mentioned that CHTA have been building on a six-year tourism health partnership with the Caribbean Public Health Agency, and that partnership has enabled coming out of the situation much faster. He mentioned that the results to date have resulted in the Caribbean having one of the lowest per capita rates of COVID-19 reported incidents, hospitalization and deaths in the world, a record the region is committed to maintain as it moves to responsibly reopen travel.

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