Enrique Eduardo De Marchena, president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), is inviting to the 2009 Small Hotels Retreat that this year will be held in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. He describes the event as “a crucial conference.”
De Marchena says: “Next year is anticipated to bring some relief for the tourism sector, but we will be competing on a global level and must come together as a region to improve our image and market ourselves accordingly. Since small and independent hotels with 75 rooms or less comprise the majority of accommodations in the Caribbean, this two-day forum has been elevated from a ‘good idea’ to an ‘absolute necessity.”
The event is scheduled for the Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort, St. Thomas, 30 Sept – 2 Oct.
While the event’s primary audience is small hotels consisting of 75 rooms or less, the conference is open to all CHTA members. Last year 18 countries were represented at the retreat with approximately 84 hotel delegates.
The program includes invaluable seminars and discussions on marketing and operations.
Registration for the CHTA Small Hotels Retreat is US$150 for hotelier delegates and US$275 for non-hoteliers who pay by 1 Sept 2009. Registration increases to US$200 for hoteliers and US$325 for non-hoteliers after 1 Sept 2009. Day passes are available to hoteliers for US$125 per day for 1 Oct and 2 Oct 2009.
A special group rate of US$135 per night plus taxes (single or double occupancy) has been set at the Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort.
For complete details and to register for the Small Hotels Retreat, visit http://www.caribbeanhotelassociation.com/smallhotelsretreat.html