Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett makes his tackle to the Diaspora who attended the Staff Jamaica Bickle occasion in New York on Sunday, April 14, 2024.
Picture credit score: Jamaica Vacationer Board (JTB)
Regardless of latest challenges posed by Hurricane Beryl, Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says the island’s tourism sector has demonstrated exceptional resilience, welcoming over 105,000 stopover guests since reopening its ports.
Bartlett introduced this “spectacular statistic” on Wednesday throughout his closing presentation of the 2024/2025 Sectoral Debate in Parliament, underscoring the business’s energy and its vital contribution to the Jamaican economic system.
“On Jul. second and three, we had no guests arriving in Jamaica,” Bartlett mentioned. “Nevertheless, on the Fourth of July, we began receiving guests once more; and, in simply 11 days, we have now introduced in 105,000 stopover guests. That is what resilience seems like.”
He famous that the fast rebound is a testomony to Jamaica’s “well-honed catastrophe preparedness plans and the unwavering spirit of its tourism stakeholders”.
Bartlett mentioned that the arrival numbers obtained “a big bump” due to patrons visiting for Reggae Sumfest 2024, presently underway in Montego Bay.
He additionally reiterated the business’s “spectacular efficiency” over the previous yr.
The tourism minister mentioned gross earnings surged to US$4.38 billion, reflecting a “exceptional” 9.6 % enhance in comparison with the earlier fiscal yr.
He mentioned this progress is fueled by a record-breaking 2.96 million stopover arrivals, representing a 9.4 % rise over 2022/2023.
Bartlett mentioned the resilience extends past stopover arrivals, as cruise tourism has additionally skilled a big resurgence, with a 16 % enhance year-on-year.
He mentioned Jamaica has already hosted practically 800,000 cruise passengers within the first half of 2024.
“Now we have already welcomed 2.4 million guests to our island this yr, holding us effectively on observe to realize our annual goal of 4.3 million,” Bartlett mentioned. “These figures are usually not simply numbers; they characterize jobs for our folks, alternatives for our companies and a stronger, extra resilient economic system for Jamaica.
“They affirm our place as a premier Caribbean vacation spot and underscore the effectiveness of our tourism methods,” he added.
