MITM Americas Goes in for Cuba Once Again
By Jorge Coromina Sánchez
The 23rd edition of MITM Americas was officially inaugurated on Wednesday, October 16, at the emblematic Hotel Nacional de Cuba, with the presence of Manuel Marrero Cruz, Cuban Minister of Tourism.
The event, whose work sessions actually kicked off on October 14 through the B2B system and which came to a close on the 17th, remains true to its motto of “quality-oriented trade shows” and the MITM Method, which ensures ROI and guarantees consumer investment for the exhibitors.
“For this edition, there have been more than 600 executives from international associations, organizers of events and fairs, business travel agencies, wedding planners and companies linked to luxury tourism, all from 65 countries, of which only 80 of them have been selected to meet with 50 MICE-specialized exhibitors, that is, those with the highest potentials to make the grade,” said Ms. Charo Trabado, CEO of MITM Events.
The event is sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism of Cuba, Gran Caribe Hotels & Resorts, the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Cubatur -the event’s official incoming agency - and Iberia Líneas Aéreas. The sponsors of the post-tours are Meliá Hoteles, Iberostar Hotels & Resorts and Muthu Hotels.
“We cannot fail to mention and extend our thanks to our sponsors, such as Iberostar, Meliá Hoteles, the Excelencias Group and Iberia Líneas Aéreas for their continued support,” Ms. Trabado went on to say during her remarks.
A total of 187 participants from 27 countries have signed up for approximately 4,000 business appointments which, in the opinion of the organizers, will yield more than $250 million worth of total revenue.
Manuel Marrero Cruz said that “the Ministry of Tourism of Cuba welcomes the 23rd edition of MITM Americas, considered the most important gathering of MICE tourism in the Americas and the Caribbean.”
He added that the event became an excellent opportunity to share views about the potential of Cuban destinations within the development of this niche, in the hope that future editions of MITM Americas could also be held on the island nation as well.
Cuba, which for years has been making major headway in MICE travel, is beefing up its commitment to this market with the strengthening of traditional events, such as FITCuba, TURNAT, Varadero Gourmet and the Wine Festival, but also with the addition of new ones, such as the First International Tourism and Health Fair, slated to take place in October 2020.
“I want to thank the Organizing Committee of this event and its entire network of collaborators for their commitment to Cuba. I would like to extend my appreciation to all those entrepreneurs who, despite the pressures, threats and warnings, continue not only to maintain the business they have done in our country, but also come up with new development proposals. We reiterate our unconditional support to them,” Minister Manuel Marrero concluded.
MITM, as the highest business-generating event in Latin America and the Caribbean, has left an invaluable mark on Cuba. This is the fourth edition that takes place on the island nation, following the first held in Varadero in 2004, and two previous gatherings in Havana last year and back in 2009.
The participating nations are Argentina, Bulgaria, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Slovakia, Spain, France, Hungary, India, Ireland, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom, Dominican Republic, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Sweden and Switzerland.
