Jamaica – which has made no secret in its wish to boost visitor numbers from the UK and Ireland – is expecting to welcome 5 million visitors by next year and boost its economy, through tourism revenue, by $5bn.
The Caribbean country has announced that it has reached 1.7 million visitors to date, this year, earning around $1.8bn in tourism revenue in the process.
A large proportion of the visitor numbers were stop-over arrivals, while cruise passengers also heavily contributed to the total.
Earlier this year, Jamaica said it was targeting 250,000 visitors from the UK and Ireland by 2025; and recently pointed to JetBlue’s new Ireland-US routes as a way of enticing Irish holidaymakers, in terms of connecting travel.
The country is redeveloping the north of the island – from Ocho Rios to Port Antonio – into a luxury holiday outpost.
Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett said: “We are grateful to see continued growth in our arrivals and earnings, which speaks to the confidence our tourism partners and visitors have in the destination. To hit the 1.7 million arrivals mark is an outstanding feat and speaks to the commitment and hard work of our tourism team led by the heart of our industry – our workers.
“Despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic, Jamaica is on its way to achieving an unprecedented milestone. With one million stopover arrivals and over seven hundred thousand cruise passengers up to the first week of May, we are in a good position to make it happen. We will continue to aggressively market the destination and work assiduously with our partners to get there.”
Jamaica’s Director of Tourism Donovan White added: “Jamaica remains a premier destination that is highly sought after for its authentic experiences. Whether it’s our food, music or entertainment, there is a vibe that only comes alive in Jamaica.”
