KINGSTON, Jamaica — Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says that he is “heartened” by results of a new study by Bloom Consulting, which shows Jamaica entering the top-ten tourism country brands in the Americas for 2019-2020, moving up five places since the last assessment.

“I am very proud of the continued improved positioning of Jamaica’s tourism product globally and particularly the recent Bloom Consulting positioning, which has given Jamaica a premiere place in the Americas,” Bartlett said in a statement on Saturday.

The top-10 ranked countries in the Americas from first to 10th are the United States, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Costa Rica, Peru, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Argentina, and Jamaica.   Jamaica ranks 52 out of 198 destinations, the Tourism Ministry said.

Bloom Consulting specialises in nation and city branding. Since 2003, the company has developed Nation Branding and City Branding strategies for various local and national governments around the world, collaborating with government officials, heads of tourism boards, and directors of investment agencies, the Ministry added.

According to the consulting company, their ranking “not only measures perceptions and appeal of a tourism-specific Country Brand, but also classifies its relative branding performance in a tangible and realistic manner.”

 Their algorithm for this ranking comprises four key variables, including the economic performance of a country’s tourism sector, its online performance, as well as digital measurements, to present an accurate and objective Brand Ranking, the Tourism Ministry stated.

“I am particularly pleased that we are included in this list for our economic performance. I am extremely pleased that our earnings have grown exponentially and whilst we make projections for US$5 billion over five years, we are seeing the kind of increases that makes us feel confident that we will achieve those targets,” said Bartlett.

 The minister shared that the positive ranking is a result of the hard work being done by the Ministry of Tourism and other local stakeholders.

“I want to use the opportunity to congratulate my team, the sector, and the stakeholders who have all been working so hard. Over the last three years, Jamaica has distinguished itself as a leader in so many areas. We have grown our arrivals against the background of our projections of our five-pillar strategy – which is to increase arrivals to five million in five years and earn $5 billion,” he said.