For the first time in Caribbean Travel Marketplace history, the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association will host a large contingent of Chinese travel buyers.

Twenty companies will join more than 1,000 delegates registered for what promises to be a dynamic edition of the event slated for this month in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Sharing the podium with Jamaican minister of tourism Edmund Bartlett at a news conference in Kingston, Matt Cooper, chief marketing officer for CHTA, announced close to 60 new buyer companies are confirmed for the top travel event. 

Delegates are expected from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, India, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Poland, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

These will join about 80 returning buyer companies.

The 37th annual Caribbean Travel Marketplace, the Caribbean’s largest tourism marketing event, will be held in Montego Bay, Jamaica from January 29th-31st.

“The interest in Jamaica and the Caribbean is reflected in the number of buyers who are attending Marketplace from around the world,” reported Cooper.

He believes this expanded interest is not accidental.

“We believe in large part the enthusiasm is driven by the outstanding and tireless work of minister Bartlett, his tourism team, the Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association, and the CHTA team along with ongoing global outreach,” he added.

Over 1,000 individuals have preregistered for Caribbean Travel Marketplace, including about 270 delegates from 135 buyer companies in 19 countries.

Approximately 500 delegates from 200 supplier companies are preregistered from 26 countries, while almost 50 media/marketing companies represented by about 125 delegates have confirmed for the marquee travel and tourism event.

With the surge in new buyers in recent weeks, particularly from China and India, CHTA expects to see registrations continue to grow as more Caribbean hoteliers recognise the added opportunity at this year’s Marketplace.