JAPEX gets under way in MoBay today - Newcomers India, Luxembourg, Mexico, and Panama on board

Western Bureau:

With a number of new influential buyers, to include India, Luxembourg, Mexico, and Panama, the 2019 staging of the Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX), the most important business generator for Jamaica’s tourism industry, promises to be a massive success when it unfolds in Montego Bay, starting today and ending on Wednesday.

Omar Robinson, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), is optimistic that the event, which he describes as a partnership between local and foreign stakeholders, will produce the desired results.

“JAPEX is a celebration of partnerships between local industry players and the international tour operators, wholesalers, and travel agents. We are encouraged by the continued interest in Brand Jamaica year after year,” Robinson told The Gleaner recently.

NEW MARKETS

Added Robinson: “We have delegates from the traditional markets like the USA, Canada, and the UK, including England and Germany, and we’re looking forward to welcoming those from new markets like India, Luxembourg, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Spain.”

Robinson further noted that hundreds of travel agents from the USA, Canada, and the Caribbean, as well as a strong media contingent, will be in attendance.

Over the two days, JAPEX will feature buyer-supplier one-on-one meetings, updates, and negotiations. In addition to booths mounted by various JHTA-member hotels and attractions and allied companies, there will be a special pavilion for members of the Linkages Committee of the Ministry of Tourism, featuring agencies like JAMPRO, the Jamaica Business Development Corporation, and the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

“JAPEX, in addition to providing the opportunity for buyers and sellers to meet in an atmosphere conducive to doing business, affords buyers the opportunity to experience all the destination has to offer, including the cuisine, culture, and, most importantly, the people,” said Robinson.

“No video, no brochure, no advertisement could ever be as valuable as being on the island, enjoying Jamaican hospitality first-hand and having a powerful reference point to sell our attributes to their customers,” added Robinson.

The JHTA boss further noted that each year suppliers and JHTA members take full advantage of the opportunity to showcase their accommodations, attractions, and allied services.

“The deals they make and business they do at JAPEX help keep their businesses successful,” said Robinson.

JAPEX is open to registered buyers and suppliers while invited local dignitaries and industry specialists join for special social events, including the Sandals Welcome Party, which has become a tradition whenever JAPEX is held in Montego Bay.