Great start to Carib Marketplace
published: Tuesday | January 11, 2005

Adrian Frater, News Editor

WESTERN BUREAU: CARIBBEAN MARKETPLACE 2005, the stellar event on both the Caribbean Hotel Association's (CHA) and the Jamaica Tourist Board's (JTA) calendar of events for this year, got off to an impressive start in Montego Bay, yesterday with brisk business among the 1,500 delegates.

"I am bubbling with joy," said businessman Godfrey Dyer, the president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) and chairman of the Marketplace host committee. "As you can see, the buyers and sellers are out in their numbers and things are going just great. This is indeed a marketplace."

According to Mr. Dyer, the tourism and market showpiece, which is being hosted by the English-speaking Caribbean for the first time in more than 20 years, has the potential to be the best of its kind in over a decade. He added that Jamaica is poised to gain major instant and long-term financial benefits.

"We are expecting over US$1 million to flow into the local economy through the monies that will be channelled into the hotel sector, restaurants, inbond trade and the transport sector," said Mr. Dyer. "It is significant to note that all the hotels in and around Montego Bay are filled at this time."

The hosting of this year's Marketplace, which is considered a significant accomplishment by Jamaica, was made possible through the construction of a mammoth 42,000-square foot, fully air-conditioned tent, which solved the age-old problem of not having a local venue to host an event of the magnitude of Marketplace.

"This magnificent tent, which we mounted here at Half Moon (hotel) has not only added a new and exciting dimension to marketplace but it has solved the venue problem," said Alec Sanguinetti, director-general of the CHA. "We are happy with what we are seeing and we are optimistic that this event will be a success."

In addition to the 423 buyer delegates and the 943 suppliers who are in attendance, local officials are also expressing delight in the fact that there are over 50 members of the overseas media providing coverage of the event.