Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - (Page 51) An aerial view of Quito, Ecuador, site of this year’s TravelMart Latin America ing, and Travel Agent had the opportunity to speak to the creator of TravelMart Latin America, William H. Coleman, to find out just how impressive the turnout was. Coleman told us that the show had about 1,000 suppliers and buyers with about 8,000 appointments scheduled before the show started and more lastminute appointments expected. He added that this was the fifth time Ecuador has hosted the event since its inception 32 years ago. Ecuador last hosted the event in 2003 and may host the event every five years from here on out, Coleman told us. The host destination must wait five years after it hosts a TravelMart in order to host another one. Coleman said he is looking into naming Ecuador the host in 2013. adding a Marriott hotel, as well as a Rosewood. Roberson told us the plans are “pure hearsay that’s coming just from me,” but we figured we’d share it in the event that it comes to fruition. We think there’s a good chance that luxury brands like Rosewood will in fact develop in Belize because it appears that is the way the destination is heading. It recently added a new marketing firm and plans to focus its attention on the luxury, wedding and honeymoon destination markets. We’ll keep you posted when we have more details. Cartagena Proves Hosting TravelMart Is Worth It We sat down with Zully Salazar Fuentes, manager of leisure tourism for ProExport, Colombia’s tourism board, and learned that the city has benefited immensely from hosting last year’s TravelMart Latin America. For example, last year the destination conducted about 10 business appointments on the first day of the event. On the first day of this year’s event, it conducted nearly 25, Fuentes says. “Last year, we felt that many people may have heard something about Colombia, but we didn’t really feel like there was much interest,” she told us. “This year, everyone knows us as an exotic destination and needs to know about us. Last year, they wanted to know. This year, they tell us they need to know because everyone is asking.” Cartagena also saw a major boost to its cruise industry about 15 days ago when Disney Cruise Line called in Cartagena for the first time. Fuentes told us Cartagena received about 1 million visitors last year. As of July, it had already received 800,000 visitors, putting it well on pace to breaking its 2007 numbers. Barcelo to Open First Property in Guatemala, Second in Nicaragua We sat down with Florencia Carbonell, sales manager for Barcelo Langosta Beach, and learned that Barcelo Hotels and Resorts (www. barcelo.com) will be opening its first property in Guatemala and its second in Nicaragua. Both properties are tentatively scheduled to open in 2009 and will each have between 120-150 rooms. For more information, agents should contact Carbonell at 011-506-220-2034, ext. 768 or fcarbonellbarcelocr.com. Sonesta to Open Property in Medellin in 2010 It was a year ago at TravelMart Latin America in Cartagena, Colombia, that we learned the destination was soon to be a Latin America tourism giant. Since then, Cartagena and Bogota have increased significantly in tourism and we now learn that Medellin is next. Sonesta Hotels will open a 125-room hotel in the city in 2010, says Juan Rodriguez Medina, marketing and sales director for GHL Hoteles, which manages such companies as Sonesta, Sheraton and Howard Johnson, to name a few. The destination also recently unveiled a Radisson Hotel. We expect more airlift and hotels to set up shop here within the next few years. Keep it on your radar. T was on location in Quito, Ecuador, for the 32nd annual TravelMart Latin America, which always produces great industry news and introduces emerging Central and South America destinations to the world. Here are some of the details we learned and things we experienced. RAVEL AGENT Why Agents Should Know Puerto Varas, Chile Coleman told us one of the main factors in picking the show’s host location is whether that destination is serious about tourism. After we sat down with Bettina Holzmann, director of the meeting and planning company Meet Inn Patagonia, we learned why Patagonia, Chile, was chosen as the host for next year’s event. Although the actual show will take place in the small town of Frutillar, nearby Puerto Varas, in the Patagonia region of the country, will host most of the events. Puerto Varas certainly meets the requirements Coleman told us about. In fact, two of the host hotels for next year’s CONTINUED ON PAGE 54 SEPTEMBER 29, 2008 TravelAgent | 51 Ecuador’s Time to Shine The opening ceremony’s biggest news came from a speech delivered by the president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa Delgado, in which he told attendees that Ecuador has tripled its tourism budget from $7 million in 2007 to $23 million in 2008. He projects a whopping $37 million budget in 2009. The show floor opened the following morn- Belize to Get Marriott and Rosewood? We’re not big on reporting rumors, but when they come from the director of the Belize Tourism Board, we feel it’s credible enough to report. Mariam Roberson, Belize’s tourism director, told us the destination is looking into http://www.barcelo.com http://www.barcelo.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 Online Now Contents From the Executive VP From the Editor Europe Pacific/Asia Hawaii Alaska Las Vegas Mexico Caribbean Cruises Travelmart Latin America Girlfriend Getaways Agent Profile Agenda Tours Luxury Travel Expo Taiwan's New Golden Triangle Despite Weak Economy, Americans Are Still Cruising In the Spotlight Editorial Index Advertising Index Trendwatch Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 (Page Cover1) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 (Page Cover2) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 (Page 1) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Online Now (Page 2) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Online Now (Page 3) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Contents (Page 4) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Contents (Page 5) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Contents (Page 6) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Contents (Page 7) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - From the Executive VP (Page 8) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - From the Executive VP (Page 9) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 10) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 11) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 12) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 13) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 14) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 15) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Europe (Page 16) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Europe (Page 17) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Europe (Page 18) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Europe (Page 19) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Pacific/Asia (Page 20) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Pacific/Asia (Page 21) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Pacific/Asia (Page 22) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Pacific/Asia (Page 23) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Hawaii (Page 24) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Hawaii (Page 25) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Hawaii (Page 26) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Hawaii (Page 27) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Alaska (Page 28) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Alaska (Page 29) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Las Vegas (Page 30) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Las Vegas (Page 31) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Las Vegas (Page 32) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Las Vegas (Page 33) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Mexico (Page 34) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Mexico (Page 35) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Mexico (Page 36) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Mexico (Page 37) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Mexico (Page 38) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Mexico (Page 39) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Mexico (Page 40) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Mexico (Page 41) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Caribbean (Page 42) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Caribbean (Page 43) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Caribbean (Page 44) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Caribbean (Page 45) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Cruises (Page 46) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Cruises (Page 47) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Cruises (Page 48) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Cruises (Page 49) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Travelmart Latin America (Page 50) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Travelmart Latin America (Page 51) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Travelmart Latin America (Page 52) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Travelmart Latin America (Page 53) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Travelmart Latin America (Page 54) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Travelmart Latin America (Page 55) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Travelmart Latin America (Page 56) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Travelmart Latin America (Page 57) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Girlfriend Getaways (Page 58) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Girlfriend Getaways (Page 59) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Girlfriend Getaways (Page 60) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Girlfriend Getaways (Page 61) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Girlfriend Getaways (Page 62) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Girlfriend Getaways (Page 63) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Agent Profile (Page 64) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Agent Profile (Page 65) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Agent Profile (Page 66) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Agent Profile (Page 67) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Agenda (Page 68) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Agenda (Page 69) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Tours (Page 70) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Tours (Page 71) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Tours (Page 72) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Luxury Travel Expo (Page 73) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Taiwan's New Golden Triangle (Page 74) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Despite Weak Economy, Americans Are Still Cruising (Page 75) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Despite Weak Economy, Americans Are Still Cruising (Page 76) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - In the Spotlight (Page 77) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Editorial Index (Page 78) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Advertising Index (Page 79) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Trendwatch (Page 80) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Trendwatch (Page Cover3) Travel Agent - September 29, 2008 - Trendwatch (Page Cover4)
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