The number of flights coming out of Latin America to Jamaica, will double come the start of the winter tourist season.

“COPA Airline will fly between Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport and Sangster International Airport four times weekly,” said John Lynch, the director of tourism.

The winter season runs from December 15 through to April.

This will be in addition to COPA’s regular service from Panama City to Kingston four times per week.

Arrivals out of Central and South America has already been growing at 50 per cent this year.

During the January to September period of 2012, over 19,000 tourists from that region came to the island, up from 12,513 during the comparative period last year.

Tourist arrivals from the Latin American region will grow some more with the doubling of flights, Lynch said.

The government is on an aggressive push to increase visitor arrivals from that region, said Wykeham McNeill, the Minister of Tourism.

In addition to increasing the number of Latin American flights to the island, McNeil said the lift in the visa restrictions from Venezuela, Panama and Colombia has already proved fruitful.

Traditionally, Jamaica draws most of its visitors from North America and Europe, but those markets are in the doldrums, while Latin America has been growing economically in recent years.

Nevertheless arrivals from Canada rose increase by 8.4 per cent during the first nine months of 2012, while tourists out of the US was up 3.7 per cent.

European arrivals into Jamaica was dow nby 12 per cent up to September.

McNeill is setting his eyes on the football World Cup scheduled for 2014 and the 2016 Olympics, both to be held in Brazil.

“We have an opportunity to go there and push brand Jamaica much like what we did in London,” he said.

Once awareness is made, a pool of visitors can be pulled in, he said.

But direct flights must first be developed. Until then, it’s a work in progress, he said.