The tourism industry in Jamaica is expected to grow further as the number of travelers globally is expected to reach 1.5 billion by the end of this year and about three billion over the following 20 years.
Speaking over the weekend to the 63rd Annual General Meeting of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett laid out several plans designed to make sure Jamaica stays a top travel destination and keeps expanding in the cutthroat global tourism industry.
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He stressed that Jamaica had to get ready for the incoming surge of tourists by developing the required infrastructure and providing top-notch service. He urged local tourism partners to be creative and responsive to new trends.
Tourism Minister Bartlett stated, “The issue is where these travelers will come from and where they will go. Our challenge is to create the capacity within Jamaica to benefit from this growing activity.”
The resiliency of the tourist industry, which has grown at a rate of three percent per year over the previous 30 years, was highlighted by Minister Bartlett. It continues to surpass global economic development in general.
“On our shoulders rests the economic fortunes of our country,” Bartlett remarked.
He also advised Jamaica to be inventive and flexible in order to adapt to the changing global environment he noted through his statement, “We have to be nimble, adaptive, and responsive to ensure that the growth we had after COVID isn’t erased by the deluge of disruptions that came with the recovery.”
To strengthen Jamaica’s competitive advantage, he urged JHTA members to adopt innovative business strategies and make use of cutting-edge technology.
During his presentation, Minister Bartlett unveiled a major plan to increase airlift from South America and grow Jamaica’s tourist industry. The first step of this plan is the launch of LATAM Airlines’ new flights from Peru to Jamaica on December 1. He said that talks are still going on with Avianca about other parts of South America, such as Columbia, and Azul Airlines about starting flights from Belem, Brazil. Expanding airlift, according to Bartlett, is essential to breaking into new markets and broadening Jamaica’s tourist pool.
Bartlett also disclosed plans for a roadshow in November that would highlight a marketing campaign in India, one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.
The world’s largest outbound tourist market will be made up of nations in the Asia-Pacific region. India’s economy would be the second most powerful in the world in two to five years. In addition, Bartlett highlighted efforts to target Eastern Europe and the Schengen area, adding that these countries offer significant potential for inbound tourism. “We are positioning Jamaica to be part of that growth,” he noted.
The minister of tourism said that the Jamaican government has allocated $1 billion for tourist marketing by the conclusion of the current fiscal year in order to bolster these endeavors.
The tourism minister noted, “This is the largest single amount the government has provided for marketing augmentation in history.”
With these tactics in place, he is certain that Jamaica’s tourist industry will continue to prosper, he remarked, “Together, we can secure Jamaica’s place as a global leader in tourism for years to come.”
