The Jamaica Tourist Board projects 4.2m visitors by the end of 2017, surpassing last year’s 3.84m and setting a new record.
According to preliminary statistics, Jamaica’s tourism industry earned $1.46bn in the first half of the year, a 5.8% increase over the same period in 2016. In July the island welcomed more than 234,051 stopover visitors, a 10.8% increase from July 2016.
Concerning cruise visitors, from January to the end of July, Jamaica received 1,088,718 ship passengers, up by 4.9% over the same period last year. That growth trajectory is expected to continue.
'Jamaica is on to a very good path,' Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett said. 'We are getting more rooms, we are getting more airlift, we are getting more visitors and we are earning more.'
Jamaica projects adding 15,000 hotel rooms by 2021, which will continue to propel tourism growth. The Jamaica Tourist Board also aims to ensure the destination is safe by heavily investing in existing programs and new initiatives including the District Constables Training Programme and the Destination Assurance Councils.
The District Constables Training Programme was introduced last year by the Ministry through its agencies, the Tourism Product Development Co. and the Tourism Enhancement Fund. It provides an added layer of security in resort areas to ensure the strict enforcement of the rule of law and to help tackle tourist harassment.
The Destination Assurance Councils, launched in June for six resort areas, are tasked with ensuring the quality, standards and integrity of Jamaica’s tourism product are maintained. The Councils are expected to identify the needs of the industry and monitor the progress of development initiatives in resort areas.
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