Caribbean Marketplace wraps up biggest edition of all

The 2005 Caribbean Marketplace came to a close Tuesday and went down in the books as the biggest edition of all time. The fair marked its 25th birthday in Montego Bay with 41 square feet of exhibition space and a massive turnout of over 1,500 attendants.

Berthia Parle, president of the Caribbean Hotel Association, said the Caribbean Marketplace –a tradeshow that has positively come apart at the seams as far as purposes and goals are concerned- took place for the first time ever in Jamaica back in 1980 in an ambience of “superb organization and great security, with the hospitality and the brisk pace of the Jamaican people.”

Mrs. Parle stressed her appraisal to local and international sponsors for the tremendous support they provided this fair with, and thanked the contribution of Jamaica´s Primer Minister for attending the opening session and showing “great commitment to the Caribbean travel industry, a fact that´s underscored by the amazing growth numbers Jamaica´s leisure industry has posted lately.”

In her remarks, Mrs. Parle also uttered words of appreciation toward countless Jamaican organizations that collaborated with the fair, as well as to “each and every one of you that worked so hard these days to pull off this tradeshow.”

In Mrs. Parle´s opinion, the 2005 Caribbean Marketplace has contributed to the advance of the Caribbean travel industry amid a very favorable situation in which giving props to local products and luring far more investment cash flow to get a world-class tourist sector are key moves.