A delegation of (14) fourteen accommodation members, industry partners, and Government officials including Parliamentary Secretary and Special Advisor to Tourism The Honorable Mr. Haydn Hughes, Mrs. Sherille Hughes, 3rd, Vice President, CHTA and President of the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association, and Mrs. Gilda Gumbs Samuel Executive Director of the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association (AHTA) will travel to Jamaica later this week to attend the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association annual Market Place Conference. The 2011 conference will be held at the new Montego Bay Convention Centre from January 16th - 18th, 2011 and will be hosted by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), the Jamaica Tourist Board, MasterCard and Virgin Holidays.

The following members of the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association, Anguilla Tourism Board, overseas hotel representatives, and Government Officials will attend the conference: 

• Honorable Mr. Haydn Hughes
• Anguilla Tourist Board 
• Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association
• Anacaona Boutique Hotel
• Paradise Cove InnSuites Boutique Hotel
• Carimar Beach Club
• Cuisinart Resort and Spa
• Malliouhana Resort and Spa
• Cap Juluca
• Viceroy Anguilla
• True Communication
• Bennies Travel and Tours
• Arawak Beach Inn

President of the Association Mrs. Sherille Hughes and Executive Director Mrs. Gumbs-Samuel will travel a few days earlier to attend meetings of the CHTA Executive and Board Members and the Caribbean Society of Hotel Association Executive (CSHAE).

Caribbean Marketplace is the premier business-to-business marketing event for the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism industry which follows the "All Tourism, All Caribbean, All Business" mantra throughout the entire program. The format of the event is two days of pre-scheduled business appointments that allow the buyers and suppliers to meet face-to-face in discussion regarding existing contracts, as well as develop packages and contracts for future business.

At Caribbean Marketplace, hoteliers meet, network, negotiate and conduct business with buyers from around the world. CHTA anticipates that Caribbean Marketplace 2011 will achieve similar success as the recent year's Caribbean Marketplace conferences and expects an even larger turnout for 2011. In 2010, there were 1,362 delegates, just 10.5% off of the previous high of 1,521 attendees in 2009, as well as over 402 booths, 268 buyer delegates and 847 supplier delegates.

Mrs. Sherille Hughes said she is especially proud of this delegation that will represent Anguilla, as while we are a small island, our presence is always noticed within the industry, and this delegation proves our standing in the tourism community.  

Upon arrival in Jamaica, flags representing the various Caribbean islands will be flown at the airport and at the new convention center. Mrs. Gumbs Samuel said this in itself will be a great source of pride, as Anguilla is the first National flag that delegates and other arriving guests to the island of Jamaica will have the pleasure of viewing.

The AHTA continues to pursue its mandate to promote and develop Anguilla's Tourism industry through various opportunities in the Marketplace.