Cancun Travel Mart Off-Site Meetings: What they really mean to Suppliers.

A lot has changed since the first Cancun Travel Mart 30 years ago. The internet, cell phones, social media, Apps, On-Line Direct Booking. The list goes on and on.

But profit, expenses, ROI, and personal service still rule the Travel Industry. Solid business and personal relationships between “Buyers” and “Suppliers” remain the foundation of Cancun Tourism.

These past 30 years have seen great growth in Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean region that now account for about one third of ALL tourism into Mexico. Mega-Resorts with thousands of rooms now dominate the landscape. And more are being built.

“Mega Buyer” Companies have emerged to market and promote these properties world-wide. More rooms and services mean more “rates & dates” to be negotiated, resulting in many Buyer organizations sending several delegates to negotiate contracts at Cancun Travel Mart. Some “Mega Buyers” need several more days of meetings at locations other than the Cancun Travel Mart Convention Center. Most of them still register experienced Buyer executives from their Companies to have appointments with Suppliers during CTM business sessions.

Cancun Travel Mart is much more than a handful of Mega-Buyers. It is a marketplace for all kinds of travel products and services. About 25% of CTM Buyers each year are “new” Buyers who have not attended Cancun Travel Mart before. They are looking for “rates & dates” for their markets! Suppliers who focus only on a few off-site meetings are missing these new business opportunities.

Unfortunately, a few Tour Operators and Hotels don’t register to attend Cancun Travel Mart, and have meetings off-site away from the Convention Center. If this practice increases it could create long term problems for CTM, and damage the Event’s future.

Complaints that Cancun Travel Mart is “too expensive” are an excuse! Supplier registration for CTM is thousands of dollars less than almost every other Travel Industry event. And there are no travel expenses. The average Supplier cost for a pre-scheduled appointment with a qualified Buyer is $70, about what it was 30 years ago.

Hotels who say they “support Cancun Travel Mart” but don’t officially register aren’t really “supporting” anything. Most importantly, they are losing new business opportunities.

Cancun Travel Mart continues to provide results, value, and new business opportunities.

Maybe some things haven’t changed since 1988.