KINGSTON, JAMAICA – With a record winter tourist season on the horizon, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Jamaica, has announced that the island is set to eclipse its growth projections for visitor arrivals and tourism earnings for 2023, based on the robust growth trajectory of Jamaica’s vibrant tourism industry.
While providing an update on the sector in the House of Representatives on December 12, Minister Bartlett outlined optimistic estimates.
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“The island should record a total of 4,122,100 visitors for the period January to December 2023. This would signal an increase of 23.7% over the total number of visitors recorded in 2022,” said Minister Bartlett. “Of this number, 2,875,549 are expected to be stopover visitors, which would represent a 16% increase over the number of stopover arrivals recorded in the previous year. Additionally, we expect to end the year with a total of 1,246,551 cruise passengers, which would represent a 46.1% increase over the tally for the previous year.”
Minister Bartlett continued to stress that the sector’s record-breaking recovery seems set to continue, adding, “This continues the spectacular growth pattern of tourism, with 10 consecutive quarters of substantial growth since the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on arrival figures to date, all indications are that we will be having an 11th quarter of significant expansion.”
In terms of tourism earnings, Minister Bartlett announced that the influx of visitors is expected to generate USD $4.265 billion for 2023, representing a projected increase of 17.8% over the revenue secured in 2022, and a 17.2% increase in revenue over 2019 pre-pandemic figures.
Minister Bartlett emphasized that if Jamaica continues on this impressive growth trajectory, the island will be on track to surpass projections of 4 million visitors and foreign exchange earnings of USD $4.1 billion by year-end.
Additionally, the Minister provided an estimated breakdown of these earnings, specifying direct revenues to the government’s coffers. These include contributions to the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) fees, Departure Tax, Airport Improvement Fee, Airline Passenger Levy, Passenger fees and charges, as well as the Guest Accommodation Room Tax (GART), amounting to USD $336 million.
Minister Bartlett expressed gratitude for the support and sterling contributions of all tourism stakeholders to the continued success of the sector, including tourism workers, the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) and other local and international partners. He further reaffirmed that the Ministry, its public bodies and all tourism partners remain committed to fostering the sustainable growth and resilience that have enabled Jamaica to maintain its position as a premier travel destination globally.
For more information on Jamaica, please go to www.visitjamaica.com.
