Jamaica pleased with tourism figures so far this year

Jamaica is reporting a record increase of visitor arrivals to the island during the first two months of the year.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, speaking at a ceremony in Kingston on the weekend, where he was honored ‘Caribbean Tourism Minster of the Year’ 2017, by the Caribbean Journal, said that January ended at 12 per cent over last year, and February is “still going ahead of last year.”

Data from the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) showed that a record 4.3 million tourists visited Jamaica in 2017, providing a revenue flow of approximately US$3 billion.

Bartlett said that the tourism industry is a “significant driver” of Jamaica’s economy, noting that it has been the fastest growing sector, and the largest contributor to global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), over the last 10 years.

He said the industry employs 10 per cent of the global workforce, and accounts for more than 30 per cent of trade in services.

“Tourism today has become a mammoth industry, that has embraced more than 79 countries,” he stated.

He said Jamaica will welcome five million visitors to the island by 2019 and that there are more opportunities for higher levels of production, growth, employment, and a higher level of visibility of the Jamaican economy within the Caribbean space.