Tourist arrivals are up 5.5 percent so far this year in Jamaica, according to Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller.

The country has reported a total of 1.6 million stayover tourists through September.

Simpson Miller revealed the data at the Star Awards staged by Sandals Resorts International at the Sandals Whitehouse Resort in Westmoreland.

“With the increase in airlifts, we are increasing our room stock.”

 

“We thank you for your contribution to the 5.5 per cent increase in visitor arrivals in Jamaica between January and September of this year,” she said. “This year, Jamaica recorded the best September ever in terms of arrivals. We welcome the increased business out of the United States and the United Kingdom markets.”

Jamaica has been buoyed by the addition of nearly 60,000 new airlift seats for the upcoming season, which begins this week.

“With the increase in airlifts, we are increasing our room stock,” she said. “To this end, many new and refurbished rooms are now coming on stream.”

“This latest wave of investments is an expression of confidence in Jamaica by both local and international investors. It is also a concerted effort by government to create the environment that attracts and fosters premium investments in the tourism sector,” she commented,” Simpson Miller said.