MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica – Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett stays upbeat that the present winter vacationer season would be the greatest ever amid a continued enhance in airlift help. He supplied a optimistic outlook yesterday, February 12. He welcomed Avelo Airways’ first flight from Raleigh, North Carolina, to Montego Bay. This new flight runs twice per week. Avelo presents service in Jamaica. They’ve two weekly flights from Hartford, Connecticut. This service began on November 16, 2024.
Inaugural Raleigh to Montego Bay Flight
Avelo is an American low-cost airline primarily based in Houston, Texas. It goals to supply low-cost air journey to many locations within the US. Captain Joseph Trevino and his crew of 4 flew practically 60 passengers on the primary flight from Raleigh to Montego Bay.
Expressing hope that the worst of the winter freeze in the USA had handed, Minister Bartlett mentioned “the higher information is that we’re increasing South America, and now have new flights popping out of Lima, Peru” and within the subsequent two weeks, “we are going to get conclusion of an association with Avianca to have new flights popping out of Colombia.”
Minister Bartlett mentioned along with talks additionally going down with Brazilian airways, “on prime of Copa and LATAM, which are actually huge drivers, and Arajet popping out of the Dominican Republic and connecting into South America, we will obtain the 100,000 guests from South America, which we’re projecting by 2025/26.”
Japanese Europe has additionally been recognized as one other space for Jamaica’s enlargement drive with Minister Bartlett indicating that: “We’re getting new flight preparations out of that area as properly.”
Excessive Winter Climate
In a bid to offset a slight shortfall in US arrivals because of excessive winter climate with a powerful push in South America, Mr. Bartlett mentioned a significant announcement could be made inside one other few days relating to a brand new visa association “in relation to that when it comes to one among our largest companions within the Caribbean.”
Just lately Minister Bartlett introduced new flights from Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. He noticed the brand new flight preparations as Jamaica having the ability “to future proof the market at a degree by no means seen earlier than” when it comes to “advertising engagement and airlift preparations that we are actually experiencing. Certainly, within the final three years, post-COVID, we now have taken off and created a brand new frontier when it comes to outcomes from tourism, each when it comes to income, in addition to customer arrivals.”
Along with job creation and room enlargement, he additionally identified that “we now have enabled a bigger variety of small operators to grow to be engaged within the tourism business.”
