Emanuel SchreibmaierSales Vice President for the Americas at Sol Meliá

by Jose Carlos de Santiago

At the latest edition of the Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference (CHIC 2005) held in June in Miami, Caribbean News Digital talked extensively with this Sol Meliá senior exec about the hotel chain´s plans in the region and the road ahead for the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA).

Q.- What do you think of the ongoing ties between the Caribbean Hotel Association and FITUR, as well as the Spanish market?

A.- FITUR is a great event the Caribbean values dearly and CHA is ready to make a much stronger showing in that fair and generate the necessary impact for the Spanish market to grow even further in our destinations. CTO will be in FITUR and we hope that, with the presence of Spanish hotel chains, time has come to follow through and come together.

Q.- Vincent Vanderpool, the CTO´s new secretary-general, told us CTO will attend next year´s FITUR and that CTO is planning to disembark fully in Spain and in FITUR by the year 2007. That was not the case until now.

A.- I agree with Vincent (Vanderpool) that some preparations have to be made to pull this off in 2006. Just like other Spanish hotel chains are luring Spanish visitors to the region, I think it´s time to follow through and come together, as I said as the top of this interview, to land at FITUR. I believe we can put together a heck of a good Caribbean Village at FITUR.

I think there´s no better framework to start things over between the Caribbean and Spanish investors, Spanish hoteliers. Maybe the Cancun Travel Mart in October could be the right time to do just that.

All members of the Marketing Committee –and I´m talking about several major airlines, a number of German tour operators and Canadian travel agencies- recognize the need to come up with a common strategy, a common platform for the entire Caribbean.

That explains why the national hotel associations are mapping out their own strategies to get a hold on the market. In this particular strategy we want to scheme a whole new strategy, and in this process the presence of the Spanish market, with its hoteliers and investors, is paramount, and so are the Russian, Italian and French markets. Russia, for instance, saved our skin in late 2004 in Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) and it has a tremendous potential for the development of the Caribbean travel market.

Q.- How is CHA faring in its relationship with Spanish hotel chains that are increasingly investing in the region?

A.- As we´ve seen, the presence of Spanish hotel chains is pretty strong, not only in the Mexican Caribbean, but also in Jamaica, Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands. There are many hotel products there now in the hands of such companies as Iberostar, Occidental, Meliá. We also have a plan in CHA to go to Spain and bring in those hotel chains that are part of the Caribbean. We need them all here.

Q.- And how are Meliá´s investments in the Caribbean doing right now? Are you involved in some of the projects for the development of the Mexican Caribbean?

A.- Hotels in Cancun are doing fine and we´re paying close heed to the development of that particular region. I´ve got no information right now about any new project along the Mayan Riviera, but we´ve got the region in our crosshairs, we´re very interested in it and I believe sooner rather than later we´ll be getting a grip of the market and announce the coming of something very attractive for this region. However, I wouldn´t like to speculate on that right now.

We only have plans now to improve existing facilities in Mexico. We opened the Nicky Beach and we´re working in Ixtapa, Cancun, with heavy investments there. I think we´re sitting pretty and doing fine from a marketing and operational standpoint.

The Caribbean and Mexico are key players in Meliá´s expansion strategy. We founded a trusteeship back in June 2003 with Hard Rock Café International –that´s a fifty-fifty operation. Hard Rock does the expansion thing and the design, while Sol Meliá takes on management, operational and marketing responsibilities.

I think SECTUR (Mexico´s Tourism Department) is doing a great job to position the Aztec nation as one of the world´s top travel destinations, and we´re working hard with those authorities, at the level of the company I represent, to do just that.

Q.- What´s your opinion of CHA, especially now that you´re involved in it as a volunteer? What aspects should this organization home in on much further?

A.- CHA is a great organization with a tremendous potential and superb possibilities for any Caribbean destination and area.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S., we noticed there´s a way of generating more tourism, and that way is about working together in this region. That´s CHA´s main goal. The Mexican Caribbean region is a fundamental objective in this strategy, probably the world´s most attractive travel destination, one of the leading destinations in the entire region. Yet, I believe this area has sort of pulled the plug on CHA a little bit.

This is no time for finger pointing, but I do believe time has come to make this region come together as a whole and be a part of the CHA´s program all over again.

On the other hand, it´s my belief that hotel associations in Cancun, the Mayan Riviera and Cozumel should show a more hands-on attitude, just as ASONAHORES is doing in the Dominican Republic and other organizations in the Caribbean. I insist time is ripe to make the whole region come together, and CHA is to play a major role in that come of age process.

I´m very proud of and pleased with being a part of CHA. This is a very energetic organization that outlines joint strategies aimed at environmental protection, the building of new hotels, the generation of far more tourism for the region, and the shaping of a very homogeneous region. CHA wants to tell the world that we´re here to stay.