Jamaica Welcomed 55,000 Visitors from July 4-10

• Jamaica welcomed 55,000 visitors from July 4 to 10, indicating a recovery of the tourism industry post Hurricane Beryl. Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, made the disclosure at the opening ceremony of the Christmas in July trade show, on July 11.
• Minister Bartlett informed that for July 2 and 3, there were no arrivals to the island. He said the island started receiving visitors again on July 4 and arrival numbers increased over a six-day period.
• “That is what resilience is about where you can say… 80% of our resources is intact, so you can come, and they came because they have confidence in the promise that we make, because of the integrity of that promise,” he said.
• The Minister noted that the sustainability plan for the industry is predicated on several key strategies of training and development, upskilling, and broadening the scope of the production of authentic Jamaican goods and services. He also mentioned other strategies like expanded credit and debt arrangements, and marketing and networking entrepreneurs operating within the sector.
• Mr. Bartlett added that Jamaica’s long history of attracting record numbers of visitors to the island goes beyond its natural resources and noted that the artisanal community is a valuable part of the island’s tourism product.
• He emphasised that small and medium-sized enterprises in the tourism ecosystem are critical drivers of the future of the industry.

(Source: JIS)