The Jamaica Vacationer Board sales space at JAPEX in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Photograph courtesy Jamaica Vacationer Board
The extremely anticipated Jamaica Product Trade (JAPEX) returned in-person Sept. 11 – 13 to Montego Bay for the primary time since 2019, with organizers hailing it as profitable.
Held on the Montego Bay Conference Centre, “it offered networking, panel discussions, tourism product updates and extra for attending media, journey brokers, tour operators and tourism business companions from throughout the globe with locations represented together with the US., U.Okay, Canada, Latin America, Europe, India, Japan and the Caribbean,” stated the Jamaica Vacationer Board (JTB) just lately.
“As Jamaica’s tourism sector continues its robust restoration, it was deeply gratifying to see the return of JAPEX met with such enthusiasm and acclaim,” stated Edmund Bartlett, minister of Tourism, Jamaica. “The chance to share information and details about Jamaica whereas showcasing all that the vacation spot has to supply guests was notably welcome.
“We have been more than happy to see the occasion so well-attended and hope that our business companions discovered much more about what makes our island so distinctive and interesting for vacationers,” he added.
JTB stated JAPEX kicked off with an academic session on subjects together with: what’s new on island; Gen AI; vacation spot advertising; concentrating on the well being and wellness market; and interesting the Diaspora.
Later that night, JTB stated attendees have been handled to a Welcome Reception sponsored by Chukka Ocean Outpost, Sandy Bay, that includes dwell leisure, music and enjoyable.
“Over the next two days, JAPEX was in full swing with a busy commerce present flooring whereas numerous excursions and actions have been scheduled for attendees together with a particular breakfast for media with Minister Bartlett,” JTB stated. “The occasion concluded with a musical celebration, meals and drinks hosted by Sandals Montego Bay that was loved by all.”
Among the many information shared about Jamaica, Bartlett introduced that Jamaica could have a complete of 1.1 million scheduled worldwide airline seats this fall, the biggest quantity the vacation spot has ever obtained for the interval.
He additionally famous key new motels scheduled to open in 2024, together with the primary 1,000 rooms of the two,000-room Princess Resort in Hanover, the 650-room Riu Palace Aquarelle in Falmouth and the 450-room Unico in Montego Bay.
“For January by means of August 2023, vacation spot earnings grew by some U.S. $400 million {dollars} or 16.2 % over the identical interval in 2019 to US$2.9 billion in earnings,” added Donovan White, JTB’s director of tourism. “So, we’re extraordinarily ecstatic that we’re rising in the best locations and rising steadily.”
“This yr, our forecast for stopover guests will enhance over 2019 by 5 % to 2.814 million in comparison with 2.68 million and we’re projecting US $4.2 billion in earnings,” he added.
With the continued progress of Jamaica’s tourism sector and an growing variety of worldwide guests flocking to the island, JTB stated there are additionally quite a few infrastructure developments underway.
It stated these embrace enlargement and modernization at Sangster Worldwide Airport and Norman Manley Worldwide Airport, in addition to new freeway development tasks, “designed to enhance visitors move and open extra areas of the island to tourism.”
