A new wave of optimism is washing over the tourism sector as hotels and tour operators report robust activity and new partnerships at Caribbean Marketplace 2012.
The 30th annual event, held at Atlantis this year, officially kicks off today following the prime minister's remarks last night. Caribbean Marketplace brings together hundreds of delegates from around the world, creating investment opportunities, exposure and a buzz for The Bahamas.
The Sheraton on Cable Beach is one of the tourism staples looking to promote and polish its product.
Manny Corral, the director of sales and marketing, is busily broadcasting the hotel's new branding to the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort and Casino. The name incorporates casino by promoting the joint facilities it shares with the Wyndham Nassau & Crystal Palace Casino, which also falls under the Baha Mar banner.
Calling the move a "natural partnership", Corral told Guardian Business the hotel is driven to market itself more effectively and ramp up offerings to the public.
"What we are doing here is meeting with all of our key clients to negotiate 2012 contracts and also forecast business expectations this year," he added. "We have projected a renewed level of optimism for 2012. This is based on actual bookings and reservations made on the system, looking into the first quarter and into May."
Year-on-year, the Sheraton executive revealed a projected increase of anywhere between five and 20 percent on bookings over this time period.
Much stronger group business and wedding demand has helped fuel the push, he explained.
Perhaps the most exciting development for the Sheraton is a new relationship with tour operator Golden Vacations. Beginning on February 15, the operator plans to run a charter program from Ecuador into Nassau for two months.
"It is the first time we have done this. We are working closer with them to make sure it is successful," he told Guardian Business. "It will no doubt open the door to more programs from South America."
Corral said the Latin American market and Europe hold "great potential" for the country and renewed efforts are being made to court these areas of the world.
It's a concept not unfamiliar for Expedia Inc, the online travel website with annual gross bookings of more than $25 billion.
Vice president of lodging for Latin America and the Caribbean, Marco Tagliatta, is another delegate at Caribbean Marketplace 2012.
Central to Expedia's message this year is the growth of business beyond the U.S. Pointing out the website doesn't control ticket prices, what it can influence, with the help of Bahamian stakeholders, is the development of enticing and competitive packages.
"We want to sell air tickets with hotel nights and create more value for the customer from these kinds of products," Tagliatta explained. "Packages are very important for The Bahamas. So we're working with our partners to make this destination competitive."
Equally significant for hotels in the country is to keep up with the latest marketing trends online, the Expedia executive said. Customers are increasingly picky on the information displayed online so they can make an informed decision, he added, making it essential for stakeholders to keep up with trends.
The Bahamas must continue to look beyond the U.S. while making these adjustments by fostering markets in Europe, Canada and Latin America.
Consistent with Sheraton's projections, Expedia is already seeing reason for optimism this year.
The first few weeks of January, Tagliatta revealed, show a year-on-year rise of 30 percent, according to their data.
The key will be keeping this momentum going through the work being done at Marketplace 2012.
"There is a lot of optimism right now for The Bahamas," he told Guardian Business. "We all hope this will be a turning around moment. We can feel a new energy for the destination."

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