THE Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) ended yesterday on a high note with tourism players hailing the threeday tourism trade show a success.

Evelyn Smith, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), one of the event’s organisers, said that the members were pleased with the appointments and contacts made on the trade floor.

The record number of delegates at this year’s staging of the annual event which was held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James, according to Smith, was indicative of the increased interest in Jamaica’s tourism product.

“Time will tell if the discussions materialise in increased business because a lot will also depend on individual hotels but it should,” she said.

And as for the increased presence from Latin America, Smith said that a number of them met with suppliers and became better informed on some of the brands with which they were less familiar. She said that while they were very pleased with the Jamaican tourism product, they voiced concerns about the language barrier.

“We have sought to assure them that members will be taking steps to address this,” Smith said.

As such, Smith said that the JHTA has been imploring the education minister to ensure that language proficiency is bolstered and embraced in schools.

“With tourism as the main driver, we now need to look at having a second language, ” she said.

Meanwhile, Smith said that the partnership between JAPEX and JAMPRO, which allowed businesses to showcase locally produced goods to the hospitality sector for the first time, was also a success.

“Our members were able to see products of certain quality which is not yet in our hotels,” she said.

As such she said that JAPEX was committed to a continued partnership.

General manager of Island Routes, David Shields said that JAPEX provided “a fantastic opportunity to meet key tour operators and establish new relationships”.

He told the Observer that thetwo-and-a-half-year-old tour company was able to finalise an arrangement with online tour provider Bookit.com to become their exclusive tour provider in Jamaica. Island Routes, he added, also inked agreements with leading online bridal registry Honeymoonwishes.com to provide services in the Caribbean.

“We have also had some Latin American tour operators inquire about the business model and we have started serious conversations,” he said.

With the buzz being about Latin America’s interest in Jamaica at this year’s JAPEX, Shields said that the company was already looking at preparing some of its material in Portuguese and Spanish.

Showcasing at JAPEX this year were several first timers and sponsors, among them the all-inclusive party ATI.

Chief executive officer of ATI Alex Chin said that the company was able to ink a deal with Orbits Travel, as well as another travel agent out of London.

“The lady from a travel agent in London came to say her clients have always been asking about ATI and so being here at JAPEX has opened our eyes to other ways of packaging the party,” he said.

The four-day party which started 12 years ago for locals, has transformed into a touristpulling event.

According to Chin, the overseas patronage has been growing rapidly, coming mainly from the United States and Canada.

“This year we did the best sale ever and we expect this to continue to grow,” Chin told the Observer, adding that the event pulls up to 5,000 patrons yearly. He said that by February of each year 80 per cent of the hotels are fully booked for the August party.

Paco Pujol, general manager of first time exhibitor at JAPEX, Captain Hook, said that the trade show provided a perfect opportunity to attract more visitors to the Falmouth attraction from markets that it had not yet entered.

The three-month-old attraction which originates from Mexico offers a threehour pirate show inclusive of dinner and a bar.

“Many of the Latin American visitors know our product already but it has been a good experience working with the interest from elsewhere,” he said.

Sales director of Bay View Villas out of Portland, Marcia Lawrence said that the networking had been very good for the 33-room hotel which opened its doors 15 years ago.

“The buyers were interested because they don’t get to speak much with properties in Portland and so we will certainly attend JAPEX another year,” she said.

Sales manager at Secrets Resort Richard Brown said that the two days were very productive as the hotel saw a full day of appointments.

“We are seeing a lot of interest from Latin America as the partners are excited about the direct flights from there to here,” he said, adding that there had also been a lot of interest from the traditional markets as well.