The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) is celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Caribbean Marketplace - the industry event that has revolutionised the way business is conducted among industry stakeholders.

CHTA anticipates that the 2012 edition of the event will continue the successes achieved at Caribbean Marketplace 2011 which saw the third largest attendance over the past decade as well as an increase in the number of crucial buyer companies by 20% and buyer delegates by 17%.

“Over the course of the past 30 years, the packaging of Caribbean vacations has changed because of the role Caribbean Marketplace has played in shaping the way business is conducted between tour operators, hoteliers, attractions and restaurants,” said Josef Forstmayr, CHTA President. “In 2011, we saw a 22% increase in
wholesaler buyer companies in attendance at Caribbean Marketplace which is a clear indication that there is a tremendous interest in Caribbean vacations across the globe.”

Caribbean Marketplace 2012 will be held at the Atlantis, Paradise Island in The Bahamas on January 22-24, 2012 and presented by CHTA, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, the Bahamas Hotel Association, the Nassau/Paradise Island Promotion Board, MasterCard and Virgin Holidays. Caribbean Marketplace is the requisite business-to-business marketing event for the Caribbean hotel and tourism industry. At Caribbean Marketplace, hoteliers meet, network, negotiate and conduct business with buyers from around the world.

Caribbean Marketplace 2011 had 1,518 delegates as compared to 1,362 in 2010 and an increase in the number of buyer companies by 20% and buyer delegates by 17%, up from 101 and 268 respectively in 2010. The number of scheduled appointments totaled 11,880 over the two-day event in 2011.