CHA Marketplace 2008
By Melanie ReffesThe Caribbean Hotel Association’s (CHA) Marketplace was held January 13 to 15 at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas. Considered the most important sales and marketing opportunity in the region for Caribbean tourism, the Marketplace attracted more than 300 buyers surpassing registration figures for last year when it was held in Aruba. Buyers included wholesalers, incentives and groups operators, meetings planners and tour operators from around the world including Canada and Europe who scheduled appointments with 800 public and private sector suppliers representing 36 Caribbean destinations.
Destination updates included tourism projections from Jamaica indicating visitor arrivals are back on an upward curve. Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett noted “ Our efforts have been spectacularly rewarded; the World Travel Awards named Jamaica the world’s top cruise destination for two consecutive years, 2006 and 2007.”
The dual destination of St. Maarten/St. Martin unveiled a new website – www.vacationstmaareten.com – with a unique on-line booking section for travel agents. “North American hotel chains are looking at the Island seriously now,” noted Regina LaBega, Director of Tourism. “The Marriott has requested permits to break ground and we are in discussion with the Hilton.” Currently, the Westin at Dawn Beach is the only North American property on the island with the Radisson set to open in July.
Executives of Starwood Hotels & Resorts said that they will aggressively pursue new locations in the Caribbean. "We are not ready to make any official announcements at this point," said Graeme Davis, Starwood's vice president of Operations for the Caribbean, "but we would love to be in Curacao and Dominica." Starwood currently has 12 hotels in the Caribbean and five more slated to open within two years including the Caribbean’s first W property in Vieques, Puerto Rico, and Westin Roco Ki in Punta Cana and the Le Paradis in St. Lucia.
The Ritz-Carlton is also serious about the Caribbean announcing the expenditure of billions of dollars in the development of seven resorts including Molasses Reef slated to open later this year on a reserve in West Caicos. Scheduled to open in 2010 include the Ritz Carlton Rose Island on the western side of the Bahamas, Half Moon Bay in St. Lucia and the Ritz Carlton Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic.
Also with an expanding portfolio of properties, SuperClubs will open Rooms Negril in early April with rates as low as $99. Other updates include renovations at Breezes Bahamas to be complete by the end of the year, three new pools and refurbished suites at Breezes Curacao and a US $20 million dollar expansion at Breezes Runaway Bay in Jamaica. “We are planning to launch our new website in March, “said Tom Anderson, VP of Sales and Marketing, ”the re-energized www.superclubs.com will be a click and book-it site for travel agents and wholesalers as well as for the buying public.”
Registration for Marketplace 2009 in St. Lucia January 18 to 20 opens in April. www.caribbeanhotelassociation.com.
