Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has described it as “the strongest in the history of Jamaica” as the island welcomed more than 40,000 visitors so far for the winter season that began December 15.
“We were able to welcome over the weekend, from December 15 to 18, a total of 42,000 visitors. That includes 37,000 stopover and 5,000 cruise visitors… something nobody would have predicted this early in our recovery (from the COVID-19 pandemic),” he told the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) News.
Bartlett said more than 11,000 stopover visitors arrived on approximately 61 flights landing at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay on December 17, making it the biggest number recorded in a single day.
He also said the arrivals number is “not only a record for the sector, but further underscores the robust post-pandemic recovery that the tourism industry continues to enjoy”.
Bartlett said the out-turn for the cruise shipping sector has also been impressive, noting that over 80 percent of the passengers arriving on the Carnival Sunrise, which docked in St. Ann on December 15, disembarked.
‘The ship had some 3,000 passengers and 1,200 crew, and they were all over Ocho Rios and were busy spending and enjoying our tourism offerings. The same thing has occurred [elsewhere] as passengers disembarked ships that have docked in Falmouth, including Royal Caribbean Cruise vessels,” Bartlett said, adding all the other major cruise lines continue to find favor with Jamaica and he anticipates that the 2022/23 season “will be great”.
Bartlett said the “amazing” arrival figures were “evidence of the hard work that the ministry, its public bodies, and tourism partners have put into marketing Destination Jamaica” and that the season is “shaping up to be the best winter Jamaica has ever had.
“We are satisfied that the tourism sector has effectively recovered. We are equally satisfied that the market is responding strongly to Jamaica. The forward bookings for the rest of the season are equally strong. We know that the market understands Jamaica and we know that the market appreciates the quality of the product and the excellence of the experience that we offer,” he added.
In October, Edmund Bartlett had announced that Jamaica had taken in US$5.7 billion in revenue since its borders reopened in June 2020.
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