Jamaica has recorded approximately 2.3 million visitors since the start of 2025, generating US$2.4 billion in earnings from the tourism sector.
The update was delivered by Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, during the opening ceremony of the 11th ‘Christmas in July’ trade show at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on Thursday (July 10). Bartlett noted that the tourism industry grew by two per cent in the first quarter of the year, contributing to a one per cent increase in the country’s overall economic performance.
“After Hurricane Beryl and all the disruptions – travel advisories, political and geopolitical issues – we are back on the growth path, and that’s going to continue,” Mr. Bartlett said, highlighting the sector’s resilience and renewed momentum despite the challenges faced in 2024.
The minister also projected a significant increase in tourism earnings for the current quarter, compared to the same period last year, crediting the strong rebound from the disruptions caused by Hurricane Beryl.
“I’m worried about how big the growth is going to look for this quarter because… you’re comparing a Beryl period to now, a normal period. But that’s how growth goes, because you’re measuring against another period. The good news is that you’re back to where you were in 2023,” he stated.
Mr. Bartlett urged the 180 exhibitors participating in the two-day trade show to capitalise on the expanding tourism sector and the increasing demand for Jamaican-made products.
“A new demand has been created for goods and services that must be supplied by you; and if it is not supplied by you, it is going to have to be imported. If it is imported, then we are going to have what we call leakage. That is to say, the [earnings] that [have] come from tourism will leave by the same plane that brings the visitors or the same ship that brings the cruise passenger. We want the money to stay here,” he said.
The ‘Christmas in July’ trade show, which ended on Friday (July 11), offered local producers and creatives a platform to showcase their products while networking with key stakeholders from the tourism industry, corporate Jamaica, and international organisations.
The event was hosted by the Tourism Linkages Network, a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), in collaboration with public and private sector partners.
