Gov’t mulling on-arrival visa for Latin American visitors
MONTEGO BAY, St James — The Ministry of Foreign Affair and the Ministry of Tourism are working jointly to enforce a system, which will allow Latin America visitors to be granted a visa to stay in the country upon arrival.
“What the ministry and ourselves are discussing is how we can tweak that arrangement to develop some kind of a programme for greater access and indeed to develop some kind of a programme to allow for visitors who come to the country on arrival to be able to get a visa,” explained Bartlett.
Noting that currently, some Latin Americans are subjected to a 21-day waiting period for the processing of applications for a visa to enter the country, the tourism minister argued that booking patterns have transformed significantly, and visitors are now booking impromptu.
“The whole business now of bookings have shifted. We are no longer into three months, six months booking period. People are booking instantaneously. They go on the website and they see what they like and they book immediately. So we have to respond in that way or else we lose that opportunity.
He added: “So the minister (of foreign affairs) and myself have been talking and we will see how we can work a protocol which can allow for our border integrity to be intact and not to be breached in any way at all, while allowing for as seamless flow of visitors to our country”.
Meanwhile, Bartlett was quick to point out that currently there are a number of visitors from sections of Latin and Central America who are allowed to stay in the country for up to 30 days without a visa.
He was speaking to members opf the media last week, following the opening ceremony of the second Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) this year, staged at the Secrets Hotel.
Bartlett was happy with the premier trade show for the local travel industry, staged jointly by the JHTA and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) which welcomed buyers from the emmerging markets in sections of Europe and the Latin America.
“This to me is a major development the first JAPEX had 20 buyers now we have over 50 that is nearly 150 per cent increase. That is fantastic,” noted a beaming Bartlett.
