The Tribune

AN "enormous" volume of tourism business will be done in the Bahamas when Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association hosts Marketplace 2012 in Nassau and Paradise Island. The annual conference, which begins on January 22, will bring those who supply tourism products such as hotel rooms and airline seats together with those who buy them, such as tour operators. Already, 12,236 appointments have been scheduled between buyers and suppliers for Marketplace 2012. This number far exceeds the total number of appointments scheduled at the same point last year when Marketplace 2011 was held in Jamaica, said Alec Sanguinetti, director general and CEO of CHTA. "Last year, the computer scheduled 11,800 appointments," he said. "So we have over 500 more appointments already scheduled." Mr Sanguinetti pointed out that preliminary information from Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) suggests the region had more arrivals in 2011 than in 2010, which was a record year for arrivals in the Caribbean. "That is wonderful news but I just temper that and caution you that tourism is not about numbers in terms of visitor arrivals," he said. "It is about really bottom line, what is left behind (in local economies)." From 2006 to 2010, visitor spending in the Caribbean fell from $26 billion to $21 billion. Caribbean and global tourism are still recovering from the worldwide economic crisis, and the recovery process is an opportunity for the Caribbean to retool its tourism industry, Mr Sanguinetti said. "If we just continue the way we are, with all the challenges facing us, then that tourism spend is going to keep decreasing," he said. Mr Sanguinetti said the Caribbean must look at the competitiveness of its tourism product in terms of value for money. "Over the course of Marketplace 2012, that is one of the important things that will be examined," he said. Meanwhile, David Johnson, director general of the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, said the hosting of Marketplace could not come at a more opportune time for the Bahamas. He pointed out that there is still uncertainty about the global economic recovery, but the Bahamas has reason to be optimistic. Mr Johnson said there are encouraging signs in the Bahamas and he believes that 2012 will be a strong year for the economy if the pace of hiring in the United States is sustained for another few months. "Our room occupancies and average daily rates remain growing for a second year in a row," he said. "Although we are seeing very modest increases in total air arrivals, we are holding the line on our rates and our total visitor count is up in the Bahamas." Mr Johnson pointed out that Marketplace delegates will be able to see the developments taking place in Nassau and Paradise Island - among them the expansion of Lynden Pindling International Airport, the Baha Mar Resort, and road infrastructure improvements.