Riu Hotels & Resorts, one of the leading holiday companies in the world, is aggressively promoting the Bahamas and Riu Paradise Island, their first Riu resort in the island chain to Europe. The Riu sales and marketing team proudly promoted Riu Paradise Island, which
opened in December 2004, at International Tourism Exchange Berlin (ITB), the world?s leading tourism trade fair.ITB, which is held annually in Germany, attracted more than 140,000 people and received global media coverage. At the conclusion of ITB, which ended March 15, 2005, Riu reported strong interest in Riu Paradise Island from European wholesalers.

“Europeans tend to go to the islands with which they are most familiar,”
states Miguel Angel Violan, Communications Manager for Riu Hotels & Resorts.

“At ITB, we focused on introducing the European market to all that the
Bahamas and Riu Paradise Island have to offer. We strongly feel that the destination has a lot for Europeans to discover and with a familiar name like Riu, we feel they will be more inclined to visit the destination.”

Riu Hotels & Resorts, which has 110 hotels worldwide, invested US$70 million to renovate the 379-room Riu Paradise Island, which employs 300 people. Riu Paradise Island, ranked as a five-star resort by wholesalers, is located on Paradise Beach, often said to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

“We are very pleased with the response from North America. More
than 70% of our guests at the hotel are from USA and Canada,” said Violan.

“We foresee an increase in European visitors to the resort as a result of
our efforts and our long relationship with European travellers.”

Riu Hotels & Resorts has repeatedly received awards in Britain, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and most recently the company received an award in London for best environmental practices. Riu resorts in U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean have also received awards from North American wholesalers.

The resort company credits its success to its focus on the customer, commitment to quality and on providing a positive holiday experience.

“It?s all about the experience,” stated Violan, “from a friendly
staff and welcoming accommodations to fresh cuisine and great locations, it all adds up to a memorable vacation experience that keeps our guests coming back.”
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