Jamaica to Host 42nd Caribbean Travel Marketplace

Jamaica has been selected to host the 42nd edition of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s (CHTA) Caribbean Travel Marketplace on May 20-22, 2024, the CHTA announced Saturday.

The CHTA’s most important event brings together buyers and sellers of the Caribbean’s tourism products and services. The Caribbean Travel Marketplace was last held in Jamaica just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019.

Next year’s event will be held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

“We at CHTA are delighted that Jamaica is building on the enormous success of our Marketplace this year in Barbados because it is where deals are made, allowing new and established buyers from all corners of the world to access a rich offering of travel products and experiences throughout the Caribbean,” CHTA President Nicola Madden-Greig said in a statement.

According to Madden-Greig, the marketplace is “where those of us in the industry meet, collaborate, strategize and get smarter about how best to share the Caribbean experience with visitors from around the world.”

Marketplace 42 will offer some new elements designed to enhance the overall experience that the CHTA President likened to the Caribbean Travel Forum & Awards.

The Forum will take place on Monday, May 20, just ahead of the official start of Marketplace. Highlights will include thought leaders and experts from several destinations and organizations and focus on the tourism business.

“At Caribbean Travel Marketplace, we can show the world how the Caribbean tourism sector’s resilience has made our destination secure and safe for locals and visitors alike,” added Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett. “It is quite fitting to have Jamaica host this premier regional event as we continue on our path to growth.”

“This event will add greatly to our tourism suppliers and buyers and ultimately create strong partnerships moving forward. It will also provide multi-destination opportunities for participants who may want to have different experiences over the period,” said Bartlett.

“This prestigious event offers an important platform to showcase the rich offerings and experiences of Jamaica and the wider Caribbean region,” Robin Russell, President of the Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association (JHTA), said in a statement.