Will Baha Mar Crash Puerto Rico’s Conference Party?

February 19, 2015 By: Joe Pike

Puerto Rico is arguably the hottest destination to host a Caribbean conference, but what will Baha Mar have to say about that when it opens in March?

There was period of about three or four straight years where it felt like every notable conference in the Caribbean was hosted at the Montego Bay Convention Centre after it opened its doors in Jamaica in 2011.

Now, it appears as though the same can be said about the Puerto Rico Convention Center, which was recently announced as the host venue for the ETI –Expo de Turismo Internacional, the first international tourism expo in the Caribbean, taking place May 13-16.

The event will be the latest in a string of conferences recently hosted or announced in Puerto Rico. In January, the destination hosted the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s (CHTA) Caribbean Travel Marketplace, widely considered by many tourism representatives as the Caribbean's most important tradeshow of the year.

Also, it was recently announced that following a successful Routes Americas in Denver that welcomed more than 650 delegates, a 45 percent growth from last year, Denver International Airport officially handed the event over to the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the host destination for the ninth Routes Americas event.

Routes Americas 2016 will take place February 7-9 of next year in San Juan. The event, which is the route development forum for the entire Americas region, will be hosted by Puerto Rico Tourism Company with the support of their partners, Aerostar Airport Holdings LLC and MeetPuertoRico.

But Puerto Rico should enjoy this run of hosting tourism conferences while it lasts, as there is clearly another destination knocking on the door in the form of The Bahamas’ much-buzzed-about resort development, Baha Mar. 

The Caribbean loves to showcase the newest, hottest hotels and destinations in the region whenever it plays host to Caribbean tourism delegates, which is why we expect Baha Mar to host a slew of events not long after it opens in March.

Baha Mar is a resort development that will house five top-level hotels – Baha Mar Casino & Hotel, Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar, SLS LUX at Baha Mar, Rosewood at Baha Mar and Melia Baha Mar – and is intended to be a destination within a destination in the Caribbean. Now, Atlantis, which will be Baha Mar's main competitor, has been a popular spot for Caribbean shows in the past and will continue to be for the next year or so until Baha Mar is poistioned to start snagging some of that conference business away.

It basically has everything you would want to showcase in the Caribbean for tourism delegates coming from all over the world. Casino? Check. Tons of meeting and reception space? Check. High-end hotels and easy air access? Check.

“Well, it'll be good to finally have good competition for Atlantis on the island,” says Ryan Mielke of Regency Travel in Fort Lauderdale. “So many people want to visit Atlantis but also want an (all-inclusive) aspect, so Baha Mar will finally offer something on the same level as Atlantis in Nassau. The Bahamas are also one of the easiest destinations to get to in the Caribbean. It could mean huge opportunities for groups, families, get-aways, etc. Almost every kind of trip type can be catered by Baha Mar.”

If advisors are booking corporate clients, they should target the Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar. For clients traveling with families or couples looking for some quiet, classic luxury and exceptional food, book Rosewood at Baha Mar. For the younger, trendier traveler with an appetite for nightlife and a hip pool scene, agents should book the SLS LUX at Baha Mar, which represents the first SLS property outside of the U.S. And the Baha Mar Casino & Hotel is simply a perfect fit for anyone, especially high-rolling gamers.

Visit www.seepuertorico.com and www.bahamar.com. And keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com/Caribbean for all your latest Caribbean news. Follow Travel Agent's Joe Pike on Twitter @TravelPike.