Jean-Claude Baumgarten of WTTC to Address CATHIE Delegates

Jean-Claude Baumgarten, president, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), has been confirmed as the featured keynote speaker at the inaugural Central America Tourism & Hotel Investment Exchange (CATHIE), scheduled for April 1-3, 2008, at The Westin Camino Real in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Baumgarten will provide his insights into the global travel and tourism outlook, with an emphasis on Central America.

Hosted by Burba Hotel Network (BHN), CATHIE will focus on hotel and tourism investment opportunities in the seven Central American countries. The Foreign Investment Advisory Service of The World Bank Group is supporting the event, and the following countries have committed to becoming patrons of CATHIE: El Salvador (PROESA), Guatemala (Invest in Guatemala), Honduras (FIDE Honduras), and Nicaragua (ProNicaragua). A full conference program will run concurrently with an active networking/exhibit hall and one-to-one meetings with the promoters of new projects and the CATHIE delegates.

About adding Baumgarten to the roster of CATHIE speakers, BHN president Jim Burba said, "We are delighted that Mr. Baumgarten will be able to join us at the inaugural CATHIE in Guatemala City. He will present his insights and outlook for the global tourism industry with a focus on Central America. After his presentation, we believe that the CATHIE delegates will be better able to see where Central America fits into the global tourism mosaic in order to identify the trends and opportunities in the region. WTTC has become the leading global voice of the private sector's travel and tourism industry, and we believe their interest in Central America bodes well for the future of the region."

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