JAPEX 2012 Deemed a Major Success

The Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) 2012 is being hailed as a major success by both organizers and delegates.

The Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association (JHTA), which hosts the annual trade event in association with the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), has reported a massive delegate turn out of 701, including overseas and local buyers and local supplier delegates.

JHTA President, Evelyn Smith, said that she was “particularly encouraged that 124 overseas buyers from major tour companies and major gateways, attended JAPEX 2012.”

Smith noted that in addition to North America and Europe, traditional markets for Jamaica, “there was keen interest as well from Latin America and the Far East.”

For the second consecutive year, the JHTA and JTB collaborated with the trade and investment promotions agency, JAMPRO, to place emphasis on both the leisure and business aspects of Jamaica’s tourism product and this saw an additional 68 local buyer delegates attending JAPEX to meet with suppliers of goods and services to the hospitality and tourism industry, including beds, jewellery, ceramics and clothing.

Supplier delegates at JAPEX 2012, totaled 370 including hoteliers, operators of attractions and airline and ground transportation companies. Mrs. Smith said that the more than 3,000 appointments scheduled over the three day show, September 30 – October 2 – represented a 29 percent increase over 2011 and both buyer and supplier delegates have expressed “great satisfaction” with the event.

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