More British and European Travelers Are Heading to Jamaica 

While Jamaica has been seeing slowing growth in the US market, the United Kingdom market is helping to pick up the slack, according to newly released numbers. 

Some 297,382 travelers came to Jamaica last year from the United Kingdom and Europe, Caribbean Tourism Organization data show. 

That was a 9.2 percent increase compared to the previous year. 

It included a strong 11.1 percent jump in travel from the United Kingdom, which sent 239,314 stayover visitors to the island last year. 

That was accompanied by a 10.9 percent increase out of Germany (with 17,018 visitors) and a 34 percent jump out of the Dutch market. 

Spain also showed a 13.3 percent increase, although it was just 3,138 visitors in total. 

Last year, Jamaica experienced a 4.1 percent reduction in stayover visitors from the US; although its total of 2.066 million American travelers was still the second-highest in the Caribbean region after the Dominican Republic. 

Jamaica was one of just three Caribbean destinations that saw a downturn in US travel last year.