DYER
Janet Silvera, Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
WITH ONLY nine days into the new year, most of the hotels in the tourism capital, Montego Bay, are fully booked as a result of Caribbean Marketplace 2005, an annual marketing event organised by the Carib-bean Hotel Association.
Traditionally, after the Christmas and New Year's holidays here is a lull in occupancy levels, but strategic marketing and the large number of delegates who have registered for the event have resulted in the windfall being experienced.
Caribbean Marketplace, argu-ably the most important tourism event in the region is set to take place from today to Tuesday, January 11, at Half Moon Hotel, Montego Bay.
President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) and chairman of the Caribbean Marketplace Host Committee, Godfrey Dyer, told The Sunday Gleaner that the delegates are estimated to spend US$1 million ($62 million) for accommodation, shopping, restaurants and transportation, in an average of five days.
IMPORTANT EVENT
"This event is extremely important to Jamaica at this time. It will serve to give many of the old tour operators the opportunity to see the product they haven't seen in a while," said Mr. Dyer, adding that the new tour operators will be given exposure of the island.
At the final host committee meeting held at Half Moon last Tuesday it was reported that 423 buyer delegates, 943 suppliers and 52 media personnel, making a total of 1,476 representatives had registered for the event. The interest shown in the event reflects an increase of 20 per cent over 2004.
Half Moon, the host hotel is 100 per cent booked, said the resort's director of sales, Myrtle Dwyer who confirmed that the Marketplace and other commitments account for the boom in business.
The Sunset Beach Resort is overbooked and has had to send some of its guests to other properties hosting many of the delegates, and the 427-room Ritz-Carlton is booked solid, particularly on January 9 and 10.
Smaller properties such as the Wexford, Doctor's Cave Beach, Gloucestershire and El Greco are all expecting the same level of business.
GONE THE EXTRA MILE
In preparation for the event, many of the hotels have gone the extra mile in ensuring the island looks good in the international market and at the 488-room Wyndham Rose Hall, Dermot Connolly, the resort's general manager called a meeting of its 780 employees on Wednesday morning to discuss the importance and benefits of the event to Jamaica and the region.
This is the first time that Caribbean Marketplace is being held in Jamaica after a 20-year absence and the local organisers, the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) were forced to rent a 42,000-square-foot tent in which the event is being held. This, because there is no conference facility in western Jamaica that is able to accommodate that many people.
It will cost the organisers US$1.3 million (J$78 million) to stage the event.
