Jamaica is concluding what is likely to be its best tourism summer in history — and the projections look good for the fall, too. 

That includes the numbers from the all-important United States market, where Jamaica is now expecting an increase of 140,000 additional seats in scheduled air capacity between September and December. 

That represents a 19 percent increase over the same period in 2022, and 18 percent growth over 2019, before the onset of the pandemic. 

“This added capacity is a testament to the appeal of the island’s tourism product as well as the excellent relationships we enjoy with our U.S. airline partners,” said the Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Jamaica. “They clearly have confidence that we can fill these seats as we are now surpassing 2019 stopover arrivals and on track for a full recovery in those annual figures for 2023.”

The increase is in large part due to new airlift on American Airlines from both Dallas and Chicago, along with extended service on United from Chicago; along with ramp-ups by Southwest Airlines from cities like Baltimore and Orlando, among others. 

“As we return tourism arrivals to growth, new routes, larger planes and more available seats from our valued airline partners are critical to achieving that goal,” said Donovan White, Director of Tourism, Jamaica Tourist Board. “We are very grateful to all carriers that have increased service to Jamaica and look forward to continuing to work together throughout the years.”

Jamaica secured 1.4 million seats this summer, a 16 percent jump over the all-time record in 2019. 

American travelers dominate Jamaican tourism arrivals, accounting for nearly 75 percent of all visitors to the island.