BUOYED by a combined 54 per cent increase in cruise and stopover visitor arrivals over January to April, Jamaica’s tourism officials have, since last month, been increasing the island’s visibility in the travel industry with a series of trade and consumer promotions, particularly in the United States.

“The intention is to continue the momentum seen during the winter season, January to April, when stopover arrivals increased by 7.9 per cent and cruise passenger arrivals by an impressive 46 per cent over the previous year,” said director of tourism, Paul Pennicook.

Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) statistics show that the island welcomed 454,223 stopover visitors for the January-April period, while cruise arrivals totalled 472,052 from 238 calls, compared to 323,187 passengers from 168 calls for the same months last year.

Of the stopover arrivals, the US northeast contributed the lion’s share with 141,362 tourists, while the US mid-west contributed 93,079, the US south provided 70,770 and 19,075 visited from the US west coast, resulting in the USA sending Jamaica a total of 324,286 visitors for the period.

A total of 41,811 tourists visited Jamaica from Canada over the January-April period, while 42,979 visitors flew here from the United Kingdom. Germany and the rest of Europe combined accounted for 24,730 visitors to Jamaica.

Pennicook said he was “particularly pleased with the arrivals out of Europe”, which, according to the JTB data, registered a 26 per cent improvement over the same period last year.

The JTB figures also indicate that 3,797 visitors came here from Latin America, a 6.5 per cent increase over the same period last year; 1,357 from Japan, a decrease of 13.5 per cent over last year; 12,936 from the Caribbean, representing growth of 15.4 per cent over the same period last year; while a total of 2,327 visitors came from what the JTB categorised as “other countries”.

The sales blitzes in the US market actually ended on Tuesday this week in Chicago with approximately 350 travel agents and consumers attending a function staged by the JTB, Air Jamaica and the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association.

A total of 17 cities in the US northeast, west coast, mid-west and south were covered by the sales team. Pennicook appeared especially happy with what he described as “excellent response” from travel agents, noting that 1,100 agents, accompanied in some cases by their best clients, attended the promotional events in the northeast alone.

Tour operators, including Air Jamaica Vacations, Go Go Tours, Travel Impressions, Pleasant Holidays and FunJet Vacations, as well as local and overseas-based sales personnel from hotels across the island, also participated in the JTB-led events.

Although he was excited by the response to the sales effort, Pennicook pointed out that the uncertainties affecting the travel industry worldwide were far from over, given sluggishness in the major world economies, lingering fear of terrorism, severe financial difficulties in the airline industry and the continuing threat of SARS.

Creativity, consistency and aggression in the marketplace, he said, were vital if Jamaica was to maintain market share in this difficult and highly competitive climate for travel.

The blitzes represented one aspect of the JTB’s multi-faceted marketing thrust that includes a US$2.5-million television and radio advertising campaign which recommenced in the USA in mid-May.

Concurrently, a US$1-million television campaign is in progress in the United Kingdom with print advertising totalling US$250,000 slated for the Italian market later this month.

The advertising and sales efforts overseas are being supported by a major “fly-in” of over 600 travel agents who will participate in familiarisation tours of the island over the period June 20-24.

Between June 23 and 27, a multi-station radio remote will see at least 10 US radio stations broadcasting live from Ocho Rios, at the invitation of the JTB, as the marketing agency seeks to further improve the upturn in booking activity for the months ahead.