NASSAU — The CHTA’s 2016 Caribbean Travel Marketplace saw more than 1,100 delegates come together for a weekend of networking and striking business deals. As Prime Minister Perry Christie said, “it’s about the money”.

Christie acknowledged the global threat of terrorism that is on many travellers’ minds and assured the crowd that travellers to the Caribbean can have “peace of mind and that it is safe and calm.” He commended U.S. President Obama in regards to restoring its diplomatic relations with Cuba. Christie noted that Cuba will be a novelty to many travellers who want to explore new destinations and that the Caribbean will be looking to working with them in joint marketing campaigns and multiple destination packages with Cuba.

The Hon. Obie Wilchcombe, Minister of Tourism Commonwealth of the Bahamas, said more than 1.4 million people travelled to the Bahamas in 2015 and that the Bahamas is investing heavily in its tourism product, including sports tourism, medical tourism (particularly stem cell research) and religious tourism. Prime Minister Christie said he is extremely proud of the product offering the Bahamas is introducing and that its tourism numbers represented 3% of its GDP, compared to 7% of worldwide GDP.

The Caribbean has declared 2016 the ‘Year of Romance’ and the Bahamas is set to announce a special wedding campaign in February. Andre Miller, Director of Global Communications at The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, said he is “very excited about the impact this campaign will have on the Bahamas and how it will align with the Year of Romance.”