News Releases

Miami, Florida, USA; September 30, 2021: Royal Caribbean International, the second largest cruise line in the world, through their senior leadership team informed Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett in Miami, Florida this week that they will resume limited operations to Jamaica in November of this year. The senior executives added that once a number of logistical matters – some of which are outside Jamaica’s remit - are effectively resolved they will be in a position to significantly boost cruises to Jamaica, bringing in tens of thousands of fully vaccinated cruise visitors. The Senior Executives also reiterated their very strong desire to employ thousands of Jamaicans across a wide range of job functions and are awaiting government’s regulatory amendments to make it a reality.

Miami, Florida, USA; September 29, 2021: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has revealed that Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise line, has committed to sending 110 or more cruises, by its various brands, to the island between October 2021 and April 2022. The agreement is contingent on Jamaican authorities and Carnival continuing to work closely on logistics and public health issues.

Dallas, Texas, USA; September 24, 2021: Executives of the world’s largest airline - American Airlines - told Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett and other senior Jamaican tourism officials in a meeting Thursday at their global headquarters in Dallas, Texas that the island nation will by December see as much as 17 nonstop flights per day, as demand for the destination rises.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; September 23, 2021: The Ministry of Tourism, its public bodies and tourism partners, including the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), will be highlighting the important role tourism plays in fostering inclusion and economic growth as they observe Tourism Awareness Week (TAW) 2021.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; September 23, 2021: Southwest Airlines executives on Wednesday (September 22) at their Dallas, Texas headquarters, informed Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett that their flight operations into Montego Bay in coming weeks and months are very close to 2019 pre-pandemic record levels, signalling increased demand for destination Jamaica by US travellers.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; September 22, 2021: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, along with other senior tourism officials, will be participating in a series of meetings in the island’s two largest source markets, the United States and Canada, beginning tomorrow, in an effort to increase arrivals to the destination as well as foster further investment in the tourism sector.