Bahamas News

Caribbean Travel Marketplace Goes Virtual in 2021 – Expanded travel trade event will showcase the region’s diverse product offerings to the world

Published

3 years ago

February 13, 2021

PRESS RELEASE: For the first time in nearly 40 years, Caribbean Travel Marketplace, the premier annual gathering where Caribbean hospitality and tourism professionals meet with regional colleagues and international buyers and sellers, will be staged virtually.

The marketing event, now in its 39th edition, is traditionally held during January, but due to the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on travel and in-person events, the event will take place in an online environment from May 11-14, 2021.

Vanessa Ledesma, acting Director General and CEO of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), which hosts the annual gathering, confirmed that Marketplace organizers are crafting an agenda that will allow participants more time to engage with tour operators, travel advisors, partners, trade and consumer media and influencers, to network, showcase and sell their destinations and services.

Although not meeting face-to-face is a major change for CHTA’s marquis event, Ledesma is confident that participating in what has become one of the region’s most highly anticipated travel, tourism and hospitality events will deliver countless benefits to attendees. “This virtual edition of Marketplace provides access to the world with no restrictions, and opens the event to a broader audience as the logistics of travel are removed, thereby facilitating further connectivity and networking,” she said, encouraging would-be participants to take full advantage of the robust line-up of events and offerings.

Major destination partnership opportunities are also being developed: “There will be pre-Marketplace components that will help global buyers to gain a better understanding of the destinations and suppliers, and to receive briefings on entry requirements and safety protocols,” advised Ledesma.

In its virtual format, Caribbean Travel Marketplace, which typically lasts for just over two days, will be presented over the course of four days in May. According to Ledesma: “It’s longer than usual because the online format allows us to incorporate supplemental elements without impacting the core buying and selling appointments.”

In preparing for its inaugural online format, the Caribbean Travel Marketplace task force reviewed feedback from attendees of previous Marketplace events and analyzed other virtual events to incorporate best practices. The show will seek to maximize attendees’ time and avoid long hours spent in front of a computer screen. Events will be scheduled to accommodate the participation of delegates located in multiple time zones, and will allow for more than one representative per company at pre-scheduled appointments.

“We are excited about the opportunity to develop and execute an event that is representative of our diverse culture and legendary hospitality. Caribbean Travel Marketplace has been a groundbreaker in its 39 years, having held some of the most iconic and memorable events in the region. We are ready to showcase the region and our diverse product offerings to the world virtually,” Ledesma noted.

She also confirmed the launch of “CHTA: Forward Together”, the association’s membership drive, which highlights the myriad benefits of membership in the organization that represents and promotes the interests of the private sector of the most significant economic driver in the Caribbean. The Forward Together campaign highlights the association’s powerful advocacy, its hallmark Caribbean Travel Marketplace, the Resilience Series, Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum (CHIEF), Taste of the Caribbean, and Health Training Series.

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Bahamas News

Bahamas economic growth

Published

3 days ago

May 4, 2024

Shanieka

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

The Bahamas’ economy is in good standing according to reports from the Bahamas National Statistical Institute which released the Quarterly Gross Domestic Product Series. They indicate that quarterly GDP trends for 2023 saw increases compared to 2022, a sign of recovery from the Covid 19 pandemic.

The most significant increase was 9.9 percent in the first quarter of 2023, and the industries responsible for the growth include Accommodations and food, construction and Arts.

Bahamas News

RBC appoints new Country Manager and Area Vice President for Turks & Caicos

Published

3 days ago

May 4, 2024

Shanieka

RBC Royal Bank (Bahamas) Limited (“RBC”) is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Kerryl-Lyn King-Henry as Country Manager and Area Vice President (“AVP”), Personal and Commercial Banking, Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI).

In her new role as Country Manager and AVP, King-Henry will take on full responsibility for the bank’s operations, strategy, and development in the TCI market, with a strong focus on solidifying partnerships with the Government, regulatory bodies, and the local community.

King-Henry brings to the role a dynamism influenced by nearly 25 years of industry experience. Prior to her new appointment, she served as AVP of Business Banking in Trinidad and Tobago. She has held progressively senior roles within both personal and commercial banking, as well as various functional units.

King-Henry holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, with a specialization in Leadership, FinTech and Big Data Analysis, in addition to a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Further enriching her professional profile, Kerryl-Lyn is a certified John C. Maxwell Coach, Trainer, Teacher, and Speaker. Her passion for leadership and development is matched by her commitment to community service, as she actively volunteers her time and leverages her professional expertise to mentor and support others. “

Kerryl-Lyn’s extensive experience and proven leadership capabilities make her the perfect choice to lead our operations in the Turks & Caicos Islands,” said Ericka Rolle, RBC’s Managing Director and Vice President, Personal Banking, The Bahamas and TCI.

“Her commitment to excellence, combined with a genuine passion for community engagement, aligns perfectly with our Bank’s purpose of helping clients thrive and communities prosper. We are excited to see the positive impact she will undoubtedly bring to her new role,” she added.

Bahamas News

Get your laugh on, March On show coming to Turks and Caicos with box office at IGA Friday and Saturday

Published

4 days ago

May 3, 2024

Shanieka

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

After resounding success in the Bahamas, hit play ‘March On, The Story of Us’ has been inundated with requests to take their show on the road, and the first location they’ll be hitting is Providenciales Turks and Caicos with tickets on sale this weekend from May 3 to 5.

Magnetic Media spoke to Gea Pierre, playwright, who told us the TCI was a natural first choice for the cast and crew.

“We started ‘March On’ in November 2023 and it was really an opportunity for us to tell a story, the story of the Bahamas and to encompass the nations that we have an amazing relationship with like the Turks and Caicos,” she continued “We really got a lot of people calling [for the play] from [the TCI], so much so we really had to pay attention.”

The response to ‘March On’ at home and abroad was overwhelming.

“To say it went well is an understatement, even before we opened we got calls from Canada, from all over the US with people wanting us to come and perform.”

And take the show on the road they did! Gea and her team have launched “March On: The Tour” and will be in Providenciales to perform on May 10th and 11th. It’s the first of a number of stops which include Nassau and several US locations.

A ticket booth will be set up from today, Friday May 3 in the foyer of IGA grocery store beginning at 1 p.m. Friday and then again all day on Saturday, allowing residents to purchase with cash.

Online tickets are available for purchase with credit cards. Then the full team returns on Friday, May 11 for the actual showing at 8 pm and their two showings on Saturday at 4pm and 8 pm. The venue is Brayton Hall, Providenciales under the patronage of Washington Misick, TCI Premier and First Lady Delthia Misick.

Describing the close familial relationships between the TCI and the Bahamas, for many on the crew it will be like coming home Gea told us, for others it will be a treat to visit for the first time, the places that their grandparents described.

Tickets are only $60 for general seating and $75 for VIP seating.

Gea maintained that the team wanted to keep the show as accessible to residents as possible.

As for why you should come out and see the play, other than the great price point:

“The way that people have responded to it is non stoplaughter, people have been moved to tears because there’s some emotion. It does not only lend to Bahamians. It’s a family drama, and anyone who’s ever been a part of a family is going to get something out of it, and something moving.”