By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s Caribbean Travel Marketplace event will go on as planned in San Juan in January, the trade association announced this week.

The event, one of the Caribbean’s leading tourism conferences, will take place in San Juan from Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2018.

“In rolling out a reenergized Caribbean Travel Marketplace, we look forward to showing the world how the courage, determination and hard work of the Puerto Rican people and tourism industry has prevailed in view of the challenges they are currently facing,” said Frank Comito, Director General and CEO of the CHTA.

Comito said the Puerto Rican people’s resilience in rebuilding communities and getting their tourism and hospitality sector up and running is inspiring

“It is important for the entire Caribbean region, our industry’s travel partners and those who book travel to the Caribbean to show their support. Already, most of the region’s tourism industry is open for business and we anticipate by the end of the year most of the hotels in Puerto Rico will be welcoming guests, as will a growing number of hotels from the other impacted destinations.”

Omar Marrero, the executive director of the Puerto Rico Convention Center District Authority, said the center would “be ready” for the event.

“We look forward to welcoming our Caribbean family and our national and international partners to our island – come and do business, that’s the best way to help us rebound in the new year,” he said.

Last year’s Marketplace attracted 114 buyer companies from 20 countries, with more than 1,100 delegates from 31 countries.