Collier promoted in London as destination

At least that's the way local hoteliers see it.

This week, Jack Wert, executive director of the Greater Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau, and marketers for about a dozen Collier County hotels are at the World Travel Market to sell this area as a destination to international travelers. This is the first year the bureau, created about a year ago, has been represented at the trade show -- the second largest in the world after the ITB in Berlin.

"I think it has been several years since anybody went," Wert said. "Some of the individual hotels have gone on their own in the past. But this is the first time in some years that we have gone as a destination."

The World Travel Market started Monday and runs through Thursday. About 45,000 buyers are expected to attend the four-day event at the ExCel convention center in East London.

Attending the show this week along with Wert are representatives for the Vanderbilt Inn, the Inn at Pelican Bay, the Inn on Fifth, the Marco Beach Ocean Resort, the Registry Resort & Club, Edgewater Beach Hotel & Club, Hawthorn Suites, the LaPlaya Beach Resort & Golf Club, the Best Western Naples Plaza, Quality Inn & Suites Golf Resort and Comfort Inn & Suites.

Scott Shoenberger, managing director for LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort in North Naples, said the exposure can't be beat. And it's definitely needed, he said.

"This is a very, very competitive industry," Shoenberger said.

"Everyone is fighting for the tourist dollar, the group dollar and we've never had a solid effort here. We've never really had anyone focusing energy in one direc tion."

Wert and the local hotel marketers are set up in a Florida pavilion under a convention and visitors bureau banner. There are photographs representing the three distinct areas that the bureau promotes.

"I think that really sends a strong message to the UK market and any of the European tour operators that we are a destination and it really sends a good message of all the variety we have in the destination."

The United Kingdom and European market were once a strong one for Collier County in the summer. In 2001, visitation fell off with the softening of Germany's economy and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"We have already seen an increase in the UK visitors to our area and we want to strengthen that," Wert said. "Most of those visitors come in to Orlando and usually spend a week there and then are looking for a beach week their second week. So we are trying to attract that second-week business."

Many European tour operators are putting together their catalogs for 2004 and Wert is hoping to see more of them include Collier County hotels in their vacation packages. Tour operators will be signing contracts with hotels at the trade show.

The World Travel Market is one of the more expensive trade shows to attend. The bureau purchased the booth at the trade show and hotels are sharing the cost.

Local hotel representatives had to pay for their own air travel and had to cover their other personal expenses, including the cost of their meals.