Martyn Bould ,RLB Caribbean Chairman addresses The Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference and Operation Summit (CHICOS), in Nassau Bahamas on Chinese Investment in the Caribbean-8/9 November 2012

In the second annual CHICOS conference more than 200 attendees listened, debated and networked on the current state of the tourist industry in the Caribbean and heard from the task forces established at last year’s conference for plans to work on resolving the ills that inhibit the development of the tourism sector of the Caribbean economy.

Martyn’s presentation on the Chinese involvement in the Caribbean and by way of example the Baha Mar resort and its economic and political contribution to the Bahamas landscape was enthusiastically received. In opening the presentation Martyn noted that in the extensive debate during the conference that if a count of references had been taken the two leading ones would be “Chinese” and “Baha Mar”

Martyn then continued with an in depth examination of the history of the Caribbean and how the region had been used for more than 1000 years for political and economic purposes ant the current interests from China were in comparison not unusual.

An examination of what was needed to secure a loan from Chinese funders was then reviewed as well as which specific contractors and banks were operating in the region and what might be necessary to secure a loan and what challenges and opportunities would need to be addressed.

CHICOS 2012 was a huge success and covered topics such as Current Investments in the Region, Destination Marketing in the Caribbean, Financing a Deal in Difficult Times, Operations, Mastering the Rebound and many more

CHICOS 2013 will be held in the Dominican Republic