BERLIN, Germany - At least two Caribbean countries have embarked on a new drive to drum up business from Europe’s lucrative tourism market, it has emerged.

The tourism ministers of Barbados and Jamaica were among government officials, hoteliers, aviation experts and other industry stakeholders who attended the just concluded ITB Berlin conference - the world's largest travel fair.

Barbados has, over the years, recorded great numbers of tourists from Germany but the numbers have been on the decline in recent years and Barbados Tourism Minister, Richard Sealy, was at the fair eyeing new opportunities in Europe and beyond.

"Germany is the largest economy within the European Union. It is a market that has a population that travels. We think that it is a remarkable opportunity for us.

"We have done better in previous years out of Germany, our figures are slightly down but we think with the strong Euro, we think that there is an opportunity for us to pick those numbers back up".

He said the decrease was as a result of the unavailability of flights into Bridgetown.

Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett said the European market could mean big business for Jamaica.

"Strong currency, strong economies but more importantly long holidays. They get three to six weeks holidays, so they can come and spend some time with us and to provide the sort of the wider distribution of the dollar that we need to reach the smaller people in the communities and the small entrepreneurs in Jamaica who provide the value added services.

"So this market is important to us; it’s very import because it drives our smaller properties".

Bartlett told the Caribbean Media Corporation that his delegation held talks with airline operators to provide flights between Europe and Jamaica.

More than 10,000 exhibitors sold their products at the event which attracts hundreds of visitors from around the world each year.