|
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands; December 1st, 2008 - Representatives from the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association (TCHTA), the Tourist Board and hotel representatives were in attendance at this year's World Travel Market (WTM) that took place November 10th through 13th. Various tourism components of the Turks and Caicos Islands were highlighted ranging from sports, business, investment opportunities, leisure, to heritage, conservation and culture.
World Travel Market is the premier four-day global tourism event geared toward buyers and sellers from every sector of the travel industry. It allows attendees an opportunity to stay abreast with the latest trends and developments in the industry, as well as brainstorm, network, negotiate and conduct business on a global scale.
Over 5,000 suppliers of travel and tourism products were on display, with nearly 200 countries featured and 50,000 travel professionals, senior management, buyers and opinion formers from different countries, regions and industry sectors.
"The show is a great forum for all of the operators and stakeholders to network in a global setting; to learn from each other and to share similar experiences," Karen Whit General Manager of the Somerset Resort and Director of the Advertising and Marketing Committee of the TCHTA. "Our goal was to showcase the assets and successes of the Turks and Caicos Islands as we continue to build our reputation as a world class visitor destination, and a fantastic location for hosting major events."
Many may be worried about the possible negative impact of the faltering global economy and the recent hurricanes on the islands' tourism market. However, tourism officials got a boost of optimism about the upcoming season from the favourable feedback received from meetings with travel professionals. Caesar Campbell, Chief Executive Officer sharing his experience at the show noted: "One of our key objectives this year was to highlight the fact that our tourism sector is still as vibrant as ever despite the recent passage of two hurricanes. We used this opportunity to dispel any misinformation which may be out there which could impact our industry negatively. Our islands received rave reviews from the travel professionals including the international media so we are confident in the bright future of our tourism industry."
During WTM, Tourism Officials also met with executives from British Airways to discuss the introduction of a second flight to the Turks and Caicos Islands. "Initial discussions were very positive and the Turks and Caicos Islands could see the introduction of this new service for Winter 2009," according to Hon. Wayne Garland Executive Chairman of the Tourist Board. "The outstanding feedback received from the travel professionals and the International media who feature our islands, and those that are considering adding us to their selection means there is still a lot of potential for us."
END
|
