Massive boost for Jamaica
JAMAICA has been ranked among the safest countries in the world, respected international analytics firm Gallup Inc has stated in its 2023 Global Law and Order report.
The Gallup report has Jamaica sharing company with New Zealand, Costa Rica and Cyprus, in a story published by Breaking Travel News — regarded as the leading online resource for travel industry executives around the world.
“The report gauges people’s sense of personal security and their own experiences with crime and law enforcement. Results are based on nationally representative, probability-based samples among adult populations, aged 15 and older, in 141 countries and territories throughout 2022,” Breaking Travel News said.
The report also said Jamaica scored 75 out of a maximum 100 points, which ranks the island among the safest countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, coming slightly ahead of the US territory of Puerto Rico at 74; followed by Brazil, 73; Argentina, 70; Mexico, 66; Venezuela, 66; the Dominican Republic, 64; Peru, 61; and Ecuador, 59.
Topping the list was Tajikistan at 96, Finland and Iceland both at 92, while the United States of America, United Kingdom and Canada all scored 83 points.
Breaking Travel News said when it contacted Delano Seiveright, senior advisor and strategist in Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism, he declined to comment extensively on the report but said, “The safety of every Jamaican and every visitor matters greatly. Notably, the crime rates against visitors remains extremely low, hovering at around 0.01 per cent, and already our visitor numbers are double-digit percentages ahead of 2019 and 2022. Jamaica is abuzz like never before, and millions have visited over the years without incident.”
On Thursday, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said the upcoming winter tourist season will be the best in Jamaica’s history.
According to Bartlett, 1.05 million airline seats have been secured from nearly 6,000 flights coming into the island out of the United States — Jamaica’s biggest source market — during the winter season which begins on December 15. The surge in airlift, he said, represents an increase of 13 per cent over winter 2022/2023, when Jamaica recorded 923,000 airline seats.
