The perception that Nassau and Punta Cana are
better known for their beaches than their boardrooms is
changing. With major developments in the pipeline for both
destinations, these Caribbean islands are eager to welcome and
embrace more meetings and groups.
In the capital city of Nassau, the future of meetings is
definitely a major focus, says Kara Manouzi, group sales
manager for the Bahamas Tourist Office. "We have a new
government now, and they are very much interested in growing
the MICE market for the Bahamas," Manouzi says.
The Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) represents a
$409.5 million investment. In March 2011, the first phase of
construction - a brand-new 247,000-square-foot U.S. departures
terminal - was completed. Phase two, which is currently
underway, will yield a 226,000-square-foot international
arrival terminal and an inter-national cruise ship pier when it
opens this fall.
Nassau's biggest tourism development, however, is Baha Mar
Resort, which is expected to open in late 2014. The
$3.5-billion resort, gaming, and entertainment complex will
have approximately 200,000 square feet of convention space
shared among three luxury hotels - Rosewood Hotels &
Resorts; Mondrian; and Hyatt Hotels and Resorts - as well as
the all-new 1,000-room Baha Mar Casino & Hotel. It will
also feature a 97,000-square-foot casino, upscale shops,
arts-and-crafts galleries, chef-branded restaurants, a water
park, two spas, and a nightclub.
Next door to Baha Mar, the Wyndham Nassau Resort & Crystal
Palace Casino's General Manager, Joe Eustice, is eagerly
anticipating Baha Mar's arrival. "We are very excited that Baha
Mar will have the largest convention space in the Caribbean,"
Eustice says. "The four new hotels will bring more excitement
to our area," he says. The Wyndham Nassau's owners are also
developing Baha Mar, he notes.
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Like the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic government is making
an effort to court meetings and groups. Patricia Perez,
director, Midwest U.S. for the Dominican Republic Ministry of
Tourism, says, "We are one of the top five emerging
destinations on the Site Global Index."
She adds that the Dominican Republic may surprise some planners
with its variety of offerings. "A lot of planners don't even
know that we have the infrastructure for meetings and
incentives, and that it's been developing for the past 10
years. We keep adding more product, and improving product,
especially in Punta Cana."
A brand-new and improved highway system, El Coral, connecting
the all-inclusive resorts of Punta Cana to the charming and
historic town of La Romana to the south, debuts this fall.
"Today, it takes hours to drive from Punta Cana to La
Romana," Perez explains. "By the end of September, you can do
that in 40 minutes with the new double-lane highway."
Perez hopes that with El Coral, it will be easier for meeting
attendees in Punta Cana to venture outside the all-inclusive
resorts and beaches.
"It's not just about the highway but what can you do with it,"
she explains. "If a planner were to go to Punta Cana before,
they were a little limited by what they could do outside of the
all-inclusive resorts. Punta Cana is a great tourism
development with lots of activities but there's no such thing
as downtown Punta Cana. El Coral is connecting destinations to
make the experience more memorable and unique and giving you
more of a feel for what the real Dominican Republic has to
offer to clients."
While Punta Cana's three major convention hotels - Hard Rock
Hotel & Casino Punta Cana; Barcelo Bavaro Beach and
Convention Center; and Paradisus Punta Cana - continue to drive
the meetings market, Perez says that the variety of hotels with
meetings spaces is expanding. She notes that AMResorts'
properties, the luxurious Sanctuary at Cap Cana, and the newly
opened Eden Roc at Cap Cana, are ideal venues for smaller-scale
meetings. Another option is the newly opened 610-room Riu
Palace Bavaro, Riu's fifth hotel in Punta Cana, which opened
last December. Its convention center can accommodate up to
1,000 people and offers 12,916 square feet of meeting space.