Jamaica to Welcome 4.2Mn Visitors and Earning US$4.1Bn from Tourism for 2023/24

• Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett stated that Jamaica is expected to welcome 4.2Mn visitors and earn US$4.1Bn by the end of the 2023/24 fiscal year.
• He noted that for 2024/25, arrivals and earnings are expected to increase to 4.529Mn visitors and US$4.8Bn, respectively, which is just about US$200Mn shy of the US$5Bn projected for the 2025/26 fiscal year.
• He refers to this as the 5x5x5 growth strategy of five million visitors and earnings of US$5Bn by 2025. For cruise tourism, Mr. Bartlett highlighted that the sector has rebounded and is back to 2019 levels in terms of projection for 2024/25 at 1.3Mn visitors.
• While there is an external factor in terms of items that are not produced in Jamaica and are imported, there is a growing energy on the supply side. Mr Bartlett noted that the budget, in its detail will speak to programmes and strategies that will be employed to strengthen the supply side.
• Part of that policy arrangement is to establish a supply logistics centre in the special economic zone, which is already in train. He further indicated that a team led by Wilfred Baghaloo, has been established and includes several of the top suppliers of tourism goods and services in Jamaica. UN Tourism is also partnering with Jamaica to establish a regional tourism academy.
• Overall, as the tourism industry continues to recover gallantly to above pre-pandemic levels, the country is expected to continue benefiting from economic revitalisation, job creation, and increased growth, signaling continued positivity for the industry.

(Source: JIS)