KINGSTON, Jamaica— Jamaica’s tourism sector is poised for continued expansion as global travel surges toward 1.5 billion travellers by the end of this year, with projections of nearly three billion tourists worldwide in the next two decades.

Addressing the 63rd Annual General Meeting of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) over the weekend, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett outlined several strategies aimed at ensuring that Jamaica remains a top destination and continues to experience growth in the competitive global tourism market.

He urged local tourism partners to be innovative and adaptive to emerging trends, emphasising that Jamaica must prepare for the rising wave of travellers by building the necessary capacity and offering superior service.

“The issue is where these travellers will come from and where they will go. Our challenge is to create the capacity within Jamaica to benefit from this growing activity,” said Minister Bartlett.

He underscored the resilience of the tourism sector, which continues to outpace general economic growth globally, growing at a rate of three per cent annually over the past 30 years.

“On our shoulders rests the economic fortunes of our country,” he noted.

He also cautioned that Jamaica must stay nimble and innovative in response to the evolving global landscape.

“We have to be nimble, adaptive, and responsive to ensure that the growth we had after COVID isn’t erased by the deluge of disruptions that came with the recovery,” Bartlett remarked.

He encouraged JHTA members to embrace new business models and leverage emerging technologies to enhance Jamaica’s competitive edge.

As part of his presentation, Minister Bartlett announced a key strategy to expand Jamaica’s tourism market by boosting airlift from South America, starting with LATAM Airlines’ new flights from Peru to Jamaica, commencing on December 1. He also noted that discussions are also ongoing with Azul Airlines to introduce flights from Belem, Brazil, and as well as Avianca regarding other regions in South America including Columbia. Bartlett stressed that expanding airlift is crucial to tapping into new markets and further diversifying Jamaica’s visitor base.

Additionally, Bartlett revealed plans for a marketing blitz in India, one of the fastest-growing economies globally, with a roadshow planned for November.

“The Asian-Pacific countries will constitute the largest block of outbound tourism in the world. In two to five years, India will be the second most powerful economy. We are positioning Jamaica to be part of that growth,” Bartlett shared, also highlighting efforts to target Eastern Europe and the Schengen area, noting that these regions offer tremendous potential for inbound tourism.

To support these efforts, the tourism minister disclosed that the Jamaican government has committed $1 billion to tourism marketing through the end of the financial year.

“This is the largest single amount the government has provided for marketing augmentation in history,” Bartlett announced.

He expressed confidence that with these strategies in place, Jamaica’s tourism sector is well-positioned for continued success.

“Together, we can secure Jamaica’s place as a global leader in tourism for years to come,” he stressed.