PUSHING to grow its visitor arrival from a number of new destinations across the globe, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has said these efforts continue in earnest as the sector in this fiscal year continues to strategically allocate time and resources to build out a presence in more markets.

Speaking during his sectoral budget debate presentation last week, the minister singled out markets such as India, Latin America, as well as some emerging demographics in the US and Canada which he believes continue to show promising potential for both leisure and business travel to Jamaica.

Reporting a 40 per cent increase in arrivals from Latin America, he said the country welcomed approximately 36,000 visitors from this market in 2023.

“This region remains our most significant new growth market opportunity. Our partnership with Copa Airlines, a key player in this market, has expanded significantly, with daily flights from Panama to both Kingston and Montego Bay. These routes offer convenient connections to destinations such as Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Costa Rica, and Mexico — strengthening our accessibility and appeal to Latin American travellers,” the tourism minister said during his presentation.

Further speaking to the progress in Asia, regarding which Jamaica first made clear its intentions to go after these markets when it approached India, Bartlett said that even without the desired success to date, plans remain ongoing with an aim to reap better successes in the not-too-distant future.

“Recognising India as a high-potential tourism market, we have appointed TRAC Representations (India) as our local market representative. Their role will involve engaging with local travel partners and media, fostering trade and consumer awareness of the Jamaican brand, and developing suitable air connectivity options to the island,” Bartlett said.

“This strategic partnership seeks to tap into India’s burgeoning travel market and position Jamaica as a desirable destination for Indian travellers,” he added.

First tapping the popularity of famous West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle, who has become a famed musical act with a huge fan base in India, the ministry more than a year ago had said it would be working with the sporting legend to shore up its marketing campaign in that country.

As the largest continent, Asia boasts a population of approximately 4.5 billion people and is diversely rich in people, culture and resources. As income levels rise on the continent, Asians are doing more discretionary spending, including taking holidays, and Jamaica wants to tap into that market.

The local tourism sector which last year surged pass previous projections, saw gross earnings of US$4.38 billion — almost 10 per cent above that of the previous year — owing to an estimated stopover arrival of nearly three million.

For fiscal year 2023/24 combined, revenues from the island’s two international airports amounted to approximately $30 billion, largely driven by a record-breaking 6.9 million passenger traffic which passed through the facilities.

Positively contributing to economic growth over the last 10 consecutive quarters since the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the sector, Bartlett said, remains committed to delivering even better results this year. This as it seeks to ensure that more people-centred initiatives are developed and that every Jamaican can feel the positive impact of tourism’s success — and not just a select few.

“This is not a difficult task given the wide-ranging impact of tourism which provides employment opportunities for countless families. There is still, however, much work to be done, and we will continue to strive to spread the wealth created by tourism.

“As we step into 2024 we embrace the ethos of ‘Even More in ‘24’, recognising the transformative power of Jamaica’s tourism industry. The interconnected web of the tourism value chain is not just a beacon of hope but a powerful force that fosters positive change and uplifts the lives of the Jamaican people and local businesses,” Bartlett said.