BVI Financial Industry to attend Caribbean Investment Conference

All financial industry executives, developers, financiers, hotel industry personnel and parties are being urged to take advantage of the next big growth stage in the Caribbean tourism industry.  The 15th Annual Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference (CHTIC) will take place in Jamaica on May 10 to12 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre. Key stakeholders in the Caribbean tourism industry will be discussing the future of the region’s development.

"With the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference scheduled to take place in Jamaica, potential delegates from the British Virgin Islands can take advantage of this event to meet with investors and other delegates conducting business in the Caribbean," said Alec Sanguinetti, Director General and CEO of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association.

“Delegates can also extend their stay in Jamaica with great rates at the host hotel - the all-inclusive, all-suites, five-star Iberostar Resort - with nearby golf courses and other day and night time diversions," Sanguinetti added.

The registration fee includes all general sessions, two receptions, one dinner, two lunches and coffee breaks.  Registration fees are $450 per person for CHTA-member hotels and government officials; $875 per person for CHTA allied members and $975 per person for non-members.

The CHTIC program features the Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism for Jamaica, delivering the keynote address, themed "Tourism Investments…Key to Caribbean Growth." The opening ceremony takes place at 6:30 pm at the hotel on May 10.

CHTA President, Josef Forstmayr, will also speak at the opening ceremony and address the importance of investment in the Caribbean to help maintain the economic stability of the region for years to come.

Sponsorship opportunities starting at US$8,000 are available. Sponsors will be highlighted throughout the entire conference, as well as in CHTA’s marketing and public relations activities leading up to, and following, the event.  The Sponsors’ Exhibit will also afford direct contact with representatives of sponsoring companies and will be open throughout the conference.

CHTIC sponsors currently confirmed include host sponsors, Jamaica Tourist Board, Jamaica Hotel & Tourism Association, JAMPRO, and Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort and Spa; Patron Sponsors: Columbus Business Solutions, FirstCaribbean International, FLOW, Interval International and MasterCard; Platinum Sponsors: KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers and World Travel Group; Gold Sponsors: ARDA, Best Western International, Exposure4, Hill International, MacLellan & Associates and MacLellan International Brokers, OBMI, Tourism Development Company LTD and Tourism Intelligence International; Platinum Media Sponsors: HotelNewsNow.com and STR; and Silver Media Sponsors: ARDA Developments, Caribbean Construction Magazine, CaribBest.com and Lodging Hospitality.

Building on the momentum achieved in recent years with a growing interest in Caribbean tourism development, CHTIC is staged by two not-for-profit organizations – CHTA and the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO).  CHTA represents the regional hotel and tourism associations and CTO is the public sector tourism body which represents the countries of the region.  All funds from the conference are being reinvested in the region for the benefit of the Caribbean tourism industry.  CHTIC was founded by CHTA and CTO in 1997 with the specific objectives of improving the tourism investment and operating climate in the Caribbean, raising awareness of development opportunities and stimulating a continuing flow of equity and loan capital into the region.

The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) facilitates the full potential of the Caribbean hotel and tourism industry by serving members’ needs and building partnerships in a socially responsible and sustainable manner.  CHTA was founded in 1962; it is the voice of the Caribbean hospitality industry for the development of the region in the highly competitive and sophisticated environment of international tourism.

Today, tourism is widely recognized as a pivotal industry in the economy of the region, and CHTA functions as the common denominator for this industry in a region of diverse nationalities, languages and styles, identifying mutual problems and marshalling the resources of the active and allied members to devise solutions. CHTA represents all facets of the hospitality industry with more than 725 member hotels and 525 allied members.