KINGSTON, Jamaica; Friday, May 3, 2024: Some 12 international and regional airlines, including carriers flying from over 200 gateways out of the US alone into Jamaica, have contributed to “impressive growth” in activities at the Sangster and Norman Manley International airports. Collectively they generated US$200.28 million or J$30 billion in revenue from a record-breaking 6.96 million passengers traversing them in 2023.

In his 2024/2025 Sectoral Debate opening presentation in Parliament earlier this week, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett outlined that including flights to St Mary, “the connectivity that Jamaica enjoys today is unprecedented in the region; only Dom Rep has a higher level of air connectivity than Jamaica.”

Minister Bartlett explained that “in 2023, our destination recorded a remarkable 15.4% increase in airlift capacity compared to the previous year, totalling 4,105,313 seats. This increase in capacity resulted in an average load factor of 83.5%, accommodating 3.4 million passengers.”

The Minister underscored that Jamaica’s robust air connectivity framework enabled the country to welcome an estimated 2.96 million stopover visitors for fiscal year 2023/24, reflecting a 9.4% increase over the 2022/23 financial year.

Minister Bartlett highlighted several key achievements in boosting airlift. Internationally, the introduction of a new nonstop service from Denver, Colorado, by United Airlines was a significant milestone, marking the first nonstop service from the US Rockies to Jamaica in a while.

Southwest introduced new nonstop flights between Kansas City, Missouri and Montego Bay; Delta Airlines resumed nonstop flights between New York’s JFK and Kingston, and later in the year, American Eagle inaugurated nonstop flights between Miami and the Ian Fleming International Airport in St Mary.

Minister Bartlett announced that American Airlines had signalled its “intent on increasing to daily, nonstop flights between Miami and St. Mary, signalling the strong demand and the long-term viability of the new route.”

For the Canadian market, two services were inaugurated, one by Jetlines offering nonstop flights between Toronto and Montego Bay, and the other by Flair Airlines from Toronto to Kingston.

Minister Bartlett announced a surge in tourists out of Canada, facilitated by at least 65 Canadian flights coming in per week. Last year’s 375,000 Canadian tourists represented a 39% increase over 2022 and “already for 2024, Jamaica is seeing an 11% increase over last year in airline seats from Canada,” including new flights out of the cities of Toronto, Montreal and Halifax.

Meanwhile, for the UK market, Norse Airline diversified the international flight options with the introduction of a new low-cost carrier from London Gatwick, while Virgin Atlantic has added nonstop flights between London Heathrow and Montego Bay.

As an added boost, major European tour operator, TUI, ranked Jamaica as the best performing long haul destination for the group, which operates up to nine flights per week between the UK cities of London, Manchester and Birmingham - and Montego Bay.

Regionally, a collaboration with Copa Airlines facilitated additional flights from Panama to Montego Bay and Kingston utilizing larger aircraft to meet a growing demand from the Latin American market. Elaborating on “a remarkable 40% increase” in the Latin American market, Minister Bartlett said Jamaica welcomed “approximately 36,000 visitors in 2023” with this region remaining the most significant new growth market opportunity.

Further afield, with India seen as a high-potential tourism market, TRAC Representations (India) has been appointed Jamaica’s local market representative, with responsibility for engaging with local travel partners and media, fostering trade and consumer awareness of the Jamaican brand and developing suitable air connectivity options to the island. “This strategic partnership seeks to tap into India's burgeoning travel market and position Jamaica as a desirable destination for Indian travellers,” Minister Bartlett expressed.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; Thursday, May 2, 2024: Investment in Jamaica’s tourism industry has soared to new heights with existing hotel companies expanding their stake while new investors are in line to build new properties.

During his 2024/2025 Sectoral Debate opening presentation in Parliament earlier this week, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett underscored that “confidence in Jamaica's dynamic tourism industry remains steadfast, laying a solid foundation for remarkable growth in the years ahead.” He said with the imminent completion of 2,000 new rooms this year, significant strides are being made towards the target of adding 20,000 rooms within the next ten to fifteen years. 

On Saturday, May 4 the 753-room Riu Palace Aquarelle will be officially opened in Trelawny, to be followed later in the month by the opening of the first 1,000 rooms of the Princess Grand Jamaica in Green Island, Hanover. Also, the 450-room Unico Hotel in Montego Bay is aiming for an opening date next summer.

He noted that “these developments signify expansion and demonstrate our commitment to providing world-class hospitality experiences to visitors from around the world,” Minister Bartlett added that construction start up dates or development plans were also being awaited for thousands more resort rooms.

High on the list is Princess Resorts, which will add another 1,000 rooms to complement those that are now near completion. Also in Hanover, Grand Palladium in Lucea will expand with an additional 1,000 rooms and further west, the Wyndham brand will rise again in Jamaica with the construction of Viva Wyndham’s just under 1,000 rooms just north of Negril. An exclusive high-end luxury development is also in the making for Westmoreland.

Meanwhile, work progresses on Hard Rock’s 1,100 rooms in Montego Bay, Secrets is expanding by just over 100 new suites, and a major new 1,285-room resort, the name not yet disclosed, is also slated for the island’s tourism Mecca.

The development of tourism continues in Trelawny with major hotel brands, Harmony Cove, Planet Hollywood and the expansion of H10 resort.

The Minister also outlined that Bahia Principe in St Ann is undertaking a multifaceted expansion project to include villas, condos, hotel rooms, a PGA-certified golf course, a fishing village, and housing for tourism workers, using a broadly environmentally sustainable development approach, while Secrets is set to develop a 700-room hotel in the Garden Parish. 

Minister Bartlett emphasized that in addition to creating in excess of 30,000 new and part-time jobs, these developments promise to substantially benefit various sectors, including manufacturing, agriculture, small businesses and the wider community.

“Jamaica is poised to welcome a wave of robust investments from diverse sources, including local Jamaican businesses and international entities from Canada, the United States, Thailand, the Middle East, Mexico, and Europe,” he added.

Kingston, Jamaica; Thursday, May 2, 2024: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has announced a significant milestone in the Ministry’s mission to “weave a safety net” for Jamaica’s invaluable tourism workers, as the ground-breaking Tourism Workers Pension Scheme (TWPS), launched in January 2022, has surpassed 7,000 contributing members, recording $1.63 billion in contributions as of April 2024. 

“This is a commendable accomplishment in two years, especially when viewed against the backdrop that in 2022 several tourism operators were still recovering from the adverse impact of the pandemic,” declared the tourism minister, during his 2024/2025 Sectoral Debate opening presentation in Parliament earlier this week.

The TWPS, a first-of-its-kind initiative in the world, offers a vital safety net for tourism workers. “This pioneering scheme continues to serve as a support system, ensuring our hardworking personnel can retire with dignity and security,” Minister Bartlett emphasized.

These impressive figures, exceeding J$80 million in monthly contributions, position the scheme to reach a total of over J$2 billion by summer 2024, the tourism minister noted. 

Minister Bartlett further highlighted that, “the endowment fund that was seeded with J$1 billion by the Government now stands at J$1.25 billion as of March 31, 2024. Therefore, when added to the total contribution to date, Total Funds Under Management stand at J$2.88 billion. So, based on the run rate, Total Funds Under Management will reach J$3 billion by June of this year.” 

The tourism minister also stressed the importance of good governance. “I am also quite pleased to indicate that the Board of Trustees, which governs the scheme is now fully and properly constituted in keeping with the Act, as we recently appointed five member-nominated trustees to the Board,” he added.  Additionally, he noted that audits for the scheme are up-to-date, with 2022 financials completed and 2023 audits currently underway.

In the meantime, the tourism minister outlined the Ministry’s ambitious plans for the TWPS. “The Chairman of the Scheme expects a significant increase in membership, given a number of strategies that will be pursued over the next 12 months,” Minister Bartlett revealed. These strategies include targeted advertising campaigns, outreach to tourism operators and self-employed individuals, collaboration with industry associations, and diversification of investment management approaches.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; Wednesday, May 1, 2024: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett is reporting significant growth in the island’s tourism sector with preliminary gross earnings of US$4.38 billion, a 9.6% increase over fiscal year 2022/23 and “the largest revenue flow from tourism in the history of the tourism industry.”

Concurrently, an estimated 2.96 million stopover arrivals reflect a 9.4% increase while cruise arrivals were up by 9.0% from the previous period in 2022/23 to reach 1.34 million passengers. The Minister also noted that “2024 began with a bang,” with Jamaica now set to achieve its target of 5 million visitors in four years instead of the 5 years projected. 

The numbers were disclosed in Parliament by Minister Bartlett as he opened the 2024/25 Sectoral Debate yesterday (April 30), with a comprehensive review of the industry’s performance. Underscoring that the tourism dollar had a wide reach, Minister Bartlett said: “When tourism dollars reach local businesses and residents, it creates a more equitable economy, leading to a strong Jamaica where opportunities are accessible to everyone.”

Noting that: “The industry has enjoyed a record-breaking year, surpassing all industry experts’ expectations,” he went on to state that the significant increase in arrivals was also reflected in the numbers for the traditional winter period, January to April 2024, with a projected 1,294,722 passengers occupying 85% of the 1,523,202 seats available across regions. He outlined that more than 80 percent of travellers through the airports were tourists and the money earned from them was benefitting everyone.

Pointing out that this load factor equalled that of the 2019 record, Minister Bartlett said Jamaica’s key markets demonstrated strong performances in capacity increase from the US, which is the largest source market. 

“The US maintained a majority stake in the overall market with a 74% share of total arrivals, outperforming 2022 by 16 percentage points and our second largest market, Canada experienced remarkable growth of 38.6%, accounting for 12.9% of the market,” said Minister Bartlett. 

Short-term vacation rental is also booming with data from Airbnb indicating that guest check-ins for January to December 2023 increased by 28% over 2022 and generated an estimated J$31.8 billion in gross earnings from 1.3 million guest nights. Mr. Bartlett said “the short-term vacation rental subsector continues to gain market share, with approximately 36% of visitors opting for this accommodation category and it is anticipated that developments in the local construction sector will contribute additional stock.”

Underscoring the impact of the record earnings from tourism, Minister Bartlett said: “The impact has been that several of our communities that were reeling from COVID-19, as a result of this record performance, are now buzzing centers of commerce and activity again and are providing more jobs.”

Kingston, Jamaica; Wednesday, May 1, 2024: Despite the ongoing challenges facing the global cruise industry, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has revealed that Jamaica’s tourism sector is poised for continued growth in this important area, while noting that cruise shipping recorded 1.26 million arrivals in 2023, 48.3% above 2022 figures.

Speaking yesterday (April 30) during his opening presentation of the 2024/2025 Sectoral Debate in Parliament, Minister Bartlett said, “I am pleased to say that the expectation is that the 2024/25 vessel arrivals and passenger count will equal or exceed those in the 2023/24 fiscal year despite the challenges in the sector.” 

In light of this, the tourism minister’s remarks highlighted the proactive approach being taken by the Ministry and its public bodies such as Jamaica Vacations Ltd. (JamVac) in navigating the complex cruise industry landscape. Minister Bartlett used the opportunity to underscore some of the key takeaways from his high-level engagements with cruise partners at the recently held Seatrade Cruise Global trade event in Miami, Florida. 

“Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL) has reaffirmed its commitment to Jamaica and has set a target of maintaining their tally of 400,000 visitors to Falmouth every year. Additionally, Disney Cruise Lines expressed their satisfaction with their current operations in Falmouth and have expressed their willingness to consider Port Royal as a future destination, pending the requisite logistical arrangements,” added Minister Bartlett. 

He further explained that positive discussions with MSC Cruises suggest a larger strategic partnership and potential infrastructure investments in Jamaica with negotiations also underway to attract luxury yacht calls from high-end operators.

Beyond these partnerships, Minister Bartlett noted that Jamaica boasts several strategic advantages in the cruise industry such as leading the way in sustainability. Bartlett added that: “Our cruise partners also acknowledged the importance of the island’s ability to bunker vessels. Bunkering refers to the process of supplying fuel to ships, and Jamaica is the only Caribbean destination with the capacity to bunker vessels with Liquified Natural Gas.” 

Moreover, Minister Bartlett also discussed Jamaica’s homeporting potential, saying, “Jamaica is also able to serve as a homeporting destination, and we are exploring opportunities to expand the supply of goods and services to the vessels that visit our ports.” 

Additionally, the tourism minister also addressed the temporary closure of the main berth in Ocho Rios due to weather damage earlier this year. In this regard, he said: “Vessels originally scheduled to dock at the main terminal have been rescheduled to Reynolds Pier. Fortunately, investments were made to improve cruise handling capabilities at Reynolds Pier, allowing Ocho Rios to retain a significant portion of its cruise calls and passengers. All the other vessels not booked into the Reynolds Pier have been rebooked to berths in Falmouth and Montego Bay.” 

Looking ahead, he disclosed that Jamaica will host the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association’s (FCCA) 2024 Platinum Member Cruise Summit this June. The tourism minister explained that this high-profile event presents an opportunity to showcase Jamaica’s advancements in cruise infrastructure and world-class attractions to key decision-makers in the global cruise industry.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Wednesday, April 24, 2024: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has urged young people “to become a part of the tourism machinery that is driving global development and economic growth.”

The appeal was made as he addressed the Jamaica Youth Tourism Summit, hosted by Tourism Management students at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Western Jamaica Campus at the Montego Bay Convention Centre recently, with hundreds of students from local high schools in attendance.

The summit was held under the theme “Preserving our Roots … Embracing Changes.” Speaking on the topic ‘Cultural Retention in Modern Tourism,’ Minister Bartlett drew attention to the fact that globally the industry has been undergoing significant changes in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minister Bartlett posited that “understanding tourism is at the heart of recognizing your culture because tourism is simply the marketing of your culture.”

With innovation driving recovery and growth of the industry, Minister Bartlett said tourism was now in the vortex of innovation. “It’s a new tourism that has emerged since COVID-19 and it’s a tourism that is also going to be influenced heavily by technology.”

The students heard that their involvement in the transformative process, guided by technology, was vital to understanding what their primary duty was. “Your primary responsibility is not merely to accumulate the knowledge, useful as that is, your primary responsibility must be, in time, to use the knowledge that you have to add value to your process,” Mr. Bartlett added.

He told the students that last year Jamaica earned US$4.2 billion from 4.1 million visitors and was the only country in the western region to have had 11 consecutive quarters of economic growth “and that is driven by 11 consecutive quarters of tourism growth.”

Attributing these successes to the Jamaican culture, Minister Bartlett said, “we’re an innovative and resilient people, and that resilience has enabled us to be able to reduce unemployment during this period from 13% to 4.2% in our country.”

Meanwhile, Executive Director of the Tourism Enhancement Fund, Dr. Carey Wallace charged participants with the responsibility of sharing the knowledge gained at the youth tourism summit and encouraged them to stand out as leaders, especially at this time in the country’s history.

NEW YORK, US – April 16, 2024 – Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has emphasized the critical role that travel advisors play in advancing the growth of Jamaica’s tourism. Speaking at a special luncheon to honour top travel advisors in Northeast America on April 13, the Minister reflected on the effort and dedication of these advisors during the pandemic.

“We all remember the day planes stopped flying, ships stopped sailing and countries closed their borders. We did not know what the next day would hold but through data, innovation and public private sector partnerships, Jamaica was able to open its borders and remained open. Our valued travel advisors were first out the blocks, selling the destination, but more importantly our message of destination assurance to their clients,” said Minister Bartlett.

Jamaica opened its borders on June 15, 2020, through its robust health and safety protocols and one of a kind resilient corridor that had infrastructure in place to allow for a safe and seamless visitor experience during the pandemic.

“The country that made Jamaica recover is the United States which never closed its borders and within a year of the destination’s reopening, we welcomed one million visitors, 800 thousand of which came from the United States. 

And of the 4.1 million visitors we welcomed last year, it is important to note that 3 million of them are from the United States, 2.2 million stopovers and the rest being cruise visitors. This impressive figure could not have been achieved without our travel advisors who continue to champion brand Jamaica and are dedicated to the destination,” added Minister Bartlett.

Statistics show that between 2020 to now, the market share of US visitors to Jamaica has increased from 63% to approximately 74%. 

“In 2019, Jamaica welcomed roughly 1.6 million stopover US visitors which means since COVID, we have increased that number by 600 thousand. This speaks to the demand for the destination, confidence from the US market and the efforts of our tourism partners like our travel advisors,” said Minister Bartlett.

New York, USA; Tuesday, April 16, 2024: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has called for a united international effort to bolster sustainable tourism practices as he addressed the United Nations General Assembly's (UNGA) first-ever Sustainability Week in New York, this morning.

The week-long initiative, being held from April 15-19, focuses on achieving a sustainable future for all, with a specific emphasis on the tourism industry’s role. Minister Bartlett, a leading advocate for sustainable development in tourism, will address the High-Level Thematic Event on Tourism twice, on April 16th.

In opening his address, Minister Bartlett said: “Allow me to express Jamaica's appreciation for the support provided by the Member States of the United Nations in the General Assembly last year for the adoption of the resolution establishing February 17 as Global Tourism Resilience Day.” 

The tourism minister continued by acknowledging the historical vulnerability of the tourism industry to global crises but highlighted its remarkable ability to recover and drive economic growth.

“In Jamaica, our focus has shifted towards sustainable tourism that respects both our natural resources and cultural heritage, ensuring long-term economic viability and sustainability,” Minister Bartlett explained.

He continued: “The road to resilience is not one we can walk alone. Protecting global tourism, especially in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), requires a concerted, international effort to implement adaptive, forward-thinking policies that not only mitigate risks but also promote sustainable practices.”

Minister Bartlett also used the forum to reiterate his call for the establishment of a Global Tourism Resilience Fund. 

“It is our shared responsibility to fortify the tourism sector against the inevitable challenges of the future. We must foster a global environment where resilience in tourism is not just an aspiration but an achievement,” he said. 

“The establishment of the Global Tourism Resilience Fund is a critical step towards this goal. It embodies our collective commitment to a sustainable, resilient and prosperous future for all nations reliant on tourism,” Minister Bartlett stressed. 

Minister Bartlett’s address at the UNGA echoes his previous call for a special voluntary visitor contribution-driven fund to support tourism resilience initiatives. He has expressed that the establishment of a dedicated Global Tourism Resilience Fund seeks to ensure that vulnerable destinations are not only prepared for future crises but are also empowered to leverage tourism as a sustainable development tool.

Kingston, Jamaica; Friday, April 5, 2024: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has expressed that, in developing Jamaica’s new Tourism Strategy and Action Plan (TSAP), greater focus will have to be placed on strengthening linkages with other sectors and preventing economic leakages. He was speaking yesterday at the Spanish Court Hotel as the Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), successfully concluded its islandwide series of tourism strategy consultation workshops, with the final session being held with stakeholders from the Kingston and St. Andrew destination area. 

The tourism minister highlighted that the strategy must have an emphasis on reinforcing linkages between tourism and other productive sectors, such as agriculture and manufacturing, to prevent economic leakages, as the sector prepares to meet the sustained and increased demand of visitors over the next few years. In this regard, Minister Bartlett noted: “Our strategy in tourism must drive the linkages in the various areas, to stop the leakages from other areas.”

The workshops, which have garnered valuable insights from several stakeholders across Jamaica’s seven destination areas, form a part of the Ministry’s thrust to develop a comprehensive new strategy and action plan for the country’s vital tourism industry. 

“The whole idea of these strategy development workshops is to respond to innovation and the changing realities of one of the most dynamic industries on planet Earth. The discussion today is critical if we are going to be able to create the capacity to respond to the new architecture that tourism will demand,” the tourism minister added. 

He continued: “Our strategies must also consider how we make tourism more inclusive and more of an enabler of economic growth and development across Jamaica.”

Recognizing that human capital development remains at the heart of the industry, Minister Bartlett stressed: “Our people are the wealth of this country. So, we must build the capacity of that wealth not to be dead capital but for that wealth to continue to grow exponentially.”

Importantly, Minister Bartlett also acknowledged the unique challenges and opportunities each destination area presents. Kingston, for instance, with its rich cultural heritage, he said is poised to become a key player in tourism diversification efforts.

“Today in Kingston, the vibrant hub of Caribbean culture, our focus is on enhancing Jamaica’s benefits from cultural tourism while also fostering its role as a key center for business tourism growth,” explained Minister Bartlett.

The consultation workshops, one held for each destination, provided a platform for investors, entrepreneurs, government officials, community members, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to collectively examine issues affecting Jamaica’s evolving tourism landscape.

Kingston, Jamaica; Monday, March 25, 2024: With Jamaica on track to attract 5 million visitors by 2025, local manufacturers are being urged by Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett to put themselves in a position to meet the increasing needs of the sector for products and services.

The call has been made even as players in the industry, such as Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs), have grossed more than $1 billion since the Tourism Linkages Network, a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) implemented its annual Speed Networking initiative. The TEF is a public body of the Ministry of Tourism.

In a recent address at the 9th staging of the Speed Networking Event, delivered on his behalf by Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Ms Jennifer Griffith, Minister Bartlett expressed that the event was being hosted “at a time when Jamaica is experiencing its best ever tourism performance in terms of arrivals, inclusive of cruise passengers, stopovers and US dollar earnings.”

He noted that Speed Networking had become one of the most anticipated calendar events created by the Tourism Linkages Network “in a continued bid to strengthen linkages and increase business between the tourism industry and local suppliers of goods and services from other sectors.” 

This objective is being achieved through collaboration with the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association (JMEA) and other partner entities, including the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC).

Participation has been consistent, with over 150 participants, representing tourism entities, suppliers and HR Managers, registered for this year’s event, staged recently at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

Minister Bartlett said Speed Networking had been recording a high return rate, citing that last year, “94 per cent of hotels surveyed as tourism buyers said they were satisfied with the products presented to them,” while “80 per cent of tourism suppliers reported receiving business leads from their participation in the Speed Networking Event.”

Also pointing to “a significant increase in business” for the sector, Executive Director of the JHTA, Mrs. Camille Needham recalled that: “When we started Speed Networking we knew we were onto something because it was, from the outset, established to bring the tourist industry together with the suppliers of goods, services and products.” She also shared that “over the years, the success of this event, and the reports we have received from those who have participated have really been heart-warming.”

In a testimonial, Chief Executive Officer of HoneyVera, Ms. Christal-Ann Thompson said her participation in the Speed Networking Event over the years has helped to boost her business. She outlined that from just two products when the company started in 2013, it now manufactures over 50 products that are also marketed internationally.

Buyers ranged from small hotels to large international chains, most of which are repeat participants. Purchasing Manager at Deja Resort, Samuel Bowen said the hotel has been participating from the inception and reaping many benefits. “We were able to make some very good connections in terms of suppliers, and currently we have one supplier who has been with us from the very beginning and it has benefitted us greatly,” he acknowledged.

Meanwhile, Retail Manager for Secrets and Breathless Resorts, Damion Stewart who has been attending the event for the last three years, described the benefits as “amazing,” adding that: “This is one of the main ways that we use to meet local suppliers that are aspiring to be part of the gift shop and the hotels’ operations, so this is very important for us.”

He said the property was very big on sustainability and local suppliers were a big part of that and “every year we try to increase our local suppliers’ presence by at least ten percent.”