Ja on track for US$2-b earnings, says Tourism director

Saturday, November 21, 2009 7:39 AM

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BY MARK CUMMINGS cummingsm@jamaicaobserver.com

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

MONTEGO BAY, St James - Director of Tourism John Lynch on Monday said Jamaica is still on track to realising US$2 billion in earnings by the end of the year, despite the global economic downturn.

According to Lynch, up to the end of last month, tourism raked in some US$1.4 billion and he expects the figure to reach the US$2-billion target during the winter season, which begins next month.

Director of Tourism, John Lynch (centre) makes a point during Monday's press briefing at the Tourism Centre in Montego Bay. At left, is Sandra Scott, regional director at the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), Canada, while deputy director of tourism, David Shields is at right. (Photo : Phillip Lemonte)

Last year, the sector earned US$1.9 billion.

Meanwhile, Lynch, who was speaking at a press briefing at the Tourism Centre in the resort city of Montego Bay on Monday, said the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) has undertaken a raft of marketing strategies in an effort to generate business for the upcoming winter season.

"Just three weeks ago we started television advertising in the United States and Canada," Lynch said, noting that the JTB is spending roughly US$10 million on marketing the island during the season.

Other marketing strategies, Lynch told reporters include:

. live radio broadcasts by 35 US, Canada and United Kingdom-based radio stations from Montego Bay and Ocho Rios over the next two weeks;

. a one-hour television documentary on Jamaica to be aired on all major networks across the US including ABC and NBC;

. the hosting of the 14th annual Caribbean Multinational Business conference to be held in Montego Bay this weekend, which will have in attendance several ministers of Caribbean and members of the Congressional Black Caucus, and the launch of the London-based tourism company

. TUI, worldwide 2010 Summer Product scheduled for Ocho Rios later this month.

At that launch, he added, about 100 journalists from across the UK will be in attendance.

In the meantime, the director of tourism said Jamaica has secured one million airline seats out of the United States, Canada and Europe for the upcoming winter season.

"Our airlift situation is better than it has ever been. We have secured one million seats flying into Jamaica between January 1 and April 30. that is to the extent that the airline have confirmed their schedules to us, so we know that that is definitely on the books," Lynch boasted, adding that last year the island had roughly nine per cent less airline capacity.

Scheduled carriers, which will be offering new service to Jamaica, include US Air, which will start service between Montego Bay and Phoenix on December 17; Jet Blue which commences service between Orlando and Montego Bay on January 11, and AirTran out of Baltimore, starting February 10.

Just last week, British Airways recommenced service from Gatwick, London to Montego Bay, after an absence of seven years, while on Friday, JetBlue began service from New York to Kingston.

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