KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Jamaica has welcomed roughly 2.3 million guests because the begin of 2025, producing US$2.4 billion in earnings. In keeping with Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, the business additionally grew by 2 % within the first quarter of the 12 months, contributing to a 1 % enhance in Jamaica’s general financial efficiency in the course of the interval.
“After Hurricane Beryl and all of the disruptions – journey advisories, political and geopolitical points – we’re again on the expansion path, and that’s going to proceed,” Bartlett stated, highlighting the sector’s resilience and renewed momentum regardless of challenges confronted in 2024.
The minister anticipates a major enhance in tourism earnings for the present quarter, in comparison with the corresponding interval final 12 months, which is attributable to the sector’s sturdy rebound from the disruptions attributable to Hurricane Beryl.
“I’m anxious about how massive the expansion goes to search for this quarter as a result of… you’re evaluating a Beryl interval to now, a traditional interval. However that’s how development goes, since you’re measuring towards one other interval. The excellent news is that you simply’re again to the place you have been in 2023,” he stated.
He was talking on the Christmas in July commerce present at The Jamaica Pegasus lodge in New Kingston. Bartlett had inspired the 180 exhibitors showcasing a variety of Jamaican-made merchandise to capitalise on the sector’s development.
The minister famous that Jamaica’s practically three million stopover arrivals have created a strong market demand that native entrepreneurs are urged to faucet into.
“A brand new demand has been created for items and companies that you will need to provide; and if you don’t provide them, they must be imported,” he advised the exhibitors. “Whether it is imported, then we’re going to have what we name leakage. That’s to say, the earnings generated by tourism will depart on the identical aircraft that brings the guests or the identical ship that carries the cruise passengers. We would like the cash to remain right here.”
