Berthia Parle, MBE, President, and Alec Sanguinetti, Director General of the Caribbean Hotel Association, were on hand in Aruba to officially announce the selection of the island as the site for the 2007 edition of Caribbean Marketplace, the largest trade event showcasing Caribbean travel products and services. The event will take place January 14-16, 2007.

“We are extremely pleased to come back to Aruba after a 15 year hiatus; the commitment and professionalism shown by the host association – the Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association (AHATA) – as well as the strong support from the Ministry of Tourism and Transportation and the Aruba Tourism Authority will ensure a highly successful event,” said CHA President Berthia Parle.

“AHATA ran with the opportunity the minute it became available, securing a great selection of lodging options, funding support, and other logistical arrangements. We are very comfortable that next January’s Caribbean Marketplace will be a record-breaking event”, said Director General Alec Sanguinetti.

On hand to celebrate the official launch of Caribbean Marketplace 2007 were Minister of Tourism and Transportation Edison Briesen; Managing Director of the Aruba Tourism Authority Myrna Jansen; and President and CEO of AHATA, Jorge Pesquera.

Celebrating its 27th anniversary, Caribbean Marketplace is the region’s single most important tourism marketing event of the year, matching Caribbean suppliers with international buyers. Nearly 400 supplier companies and destinations showcase their products to close to 900 buyers from 200 international organizations. All in all, the event attracts approximately 1600 attendees and members of the press from 35 countries. Over 12,000 business appointments are scheduled to solidify relationships with tour operators from the US, UK, Canada, Europe and Latin America that sell the Caribbean.

Jorge Pesquera indicated that AHATA is honored about Aruba’s selection and ready to collaborate with the Ministry and Tourism Authorities, as well as the Aruban community at large, to make this the best ever Marketplace. “This is a perfect opportunity to re-launch the image of Aruba and show the world what a terrific destination Aruba really is – our hospitality will be our biggest selling point,” said Pesquera. A host committee that includes several government agencies has been installed and will commence detailed planning of activities this week.

“The government of Aruba fully supports this event and will contribute extensively to guarantee that it becomes another successful opportunity for Aruba, the local community and the tourism industry,” said Edison Briesen, Minister of Tourism and Transportation. “This conference will ensure that Aruba stays in the forefront of the international tourism industry.”

“Aruba has hosted many successful international conferences in the past,” said Myrna Jansen, Managing Director of the Aruba Tourism Authority. “We look forward to this opportunity to showcase Aruba to our international visitors.”