Visitors just keep flocking to the island of Jamaica, with the destination reporting its 10th consecutive quarter of positive tourism growth.
In the third quarter, Jamaica reported just under 683,000 stopover visitors, a 5.5 percent increase compared to the third quarter of last year, according to Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett.
“The economic performance figures for the third quarter of the year show that Jamaica continues to shine as a premier destination, with significantly increasing stopover arrivals and earnings,” Bartlett said this week.
Tourism earnings for the island totaled roughly $1 billion, a 7.3 percent increase over the same period in 2022.
“This continues the spectacular growth pattern of tourism,” Bartlett said. “Both in terms of visitor arrivals as well as for earnings. Indeed, it marks the 10th consecutive quarter since the COVID-19 pandemic that we have shown significant growth.”
That growth has been buoyed by a resurgent United Kingdom market, which continues to outperform every other source market for Jamaican tourism outside of the United States.
“The pattern of growth for this market has been noteworthy also as the UK market continues to outpace the other non-American markets, and Jamaica now is the number one destination in the Caribbean for UK visitors,” the Minister said. “We want to grow that, and our Jamaica Travel Market tradeshow, which just ended in the UK has indicated a pattern of continued growth.”
That conference, held at the end of last month, put together local businesses with Jamaican resorts, hotels, ground agents and car rental firms.
Canada, too, is seeing a rebound after several years constrained by the country’s health restrictions on outbound travel. Jamaican officials are now looking to reach 500,000 annual visitors out of Canadaby 2025. https://www.caribjournal.com/2023/09/21/jamaica-canadian-visitors-by-2025/
“We’re excited about Canada and the prospects for improved growth from Canada,” he said.
And the growth from, well, everywhere, is equally exciting.