Tourism group's investment conference set for May 2010

Building on the momentum achieved in recent years with a growing interest in Caribbean tourism development, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), in conjunction with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), will host the 14th annual Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference (CHTIC) from May 4-6, 2010. It will be staged at the state-of-the-art Puerto Rico Convention Centre.

"This will be the 14th year of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association and the Caribbean Tourism Organisation co-managing the region's most successful and longest-standing tourism investment event and we anticipate a very well-attended and supported conference hosted by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC), the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association (PRHTA) and the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau (PRCB),"said Enrique De Marchena Kaluche, president of CHTA.

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference brings together hoteliers, tourism officials, developers, bankers and other lenders, as well as others interested in Caribbean tourism, to discuss and plan investment strategies for the region.

CHTIC, the official tourism investment conference of the Caribbean, is managed by the region's public and private sector organisations - CHTA (the regional hotel association) and CTO (the public sector tourism body) - and is the only event of its kind which is staged by the region's not-for-profit organisations, with all funds being reinvested in the region for the benefit of the Caribbean tourism industry.

interest still strong

"While these difficult economic times have to some extent slowed the flow of capital, it was evident from our recent conference in April that there is strong interest in Caribbean tourism development and it is absolutely crucial that the Caribbean look ahead in order to ensure our sustainability for the future, De Marchena Kaluche said.

"The 2010 investment conference next May will play a pivotal role in determining nature and trajectory of tourism related investments in the region," he added.

"The Puerto Rico Tourism Company is hosting CHTIC to showcase opportunities Puerto Rico offers as an investment and business destination," stated Jaime Lopez D'az, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.

opportunity for stronger ties

"This conference provides the venue and opportunities to create ties among all Caribbean tourism industry elements and build a stronger and more unified Caribbean destination product for Puerto Rico and the region as a whole," added Lopez D'az.

"CHTIC 2009 marked a major development in our approach to Caribbean investment with greater emphasis placed on the 'greening' of our tourism product in response to the rising cost of energy, climate change and the rapidly emerging environmentally conscious segment of the global tourism market," noted De Marchena Kaluche.

"Several major organisations have already confirmed their sponsorship support for Caribbean Marketplace, which is indicative of the importance of the 2010 event being held in Puerto Rico," said De Marchena Kaluche.