Jamaica is gearing for what is shaping up to be a strong winter tourism season as forward bookings have been increasing, especially after Sandals and Beaches Resorts’ historic Jamaica Love promotion that brought 1,000 travel advisors from the country’s main source markets to the island in October.

“We’re starting to see immediate results from it. The long term is that we are seeing some good business coming and layered down for Q1 next year. So, you know, January, February, March, we’re starting to see some good business coming up,” Jeremy Jones, Sandals Resorts International’s corporate director, resort operations, Jamaica, told the
Jamaica Observer on Saturday.

“Interestingly, I was at Beaches Ocho Rios just a few weeks ago talking with some team members in the concierge department and the general manager there had just gotten an e-mail from a travel advisor who visited that resort in October during Jamaica Love and actually booked three families to travel over Thanksgiving to visit the resort,” Jones gushed.

“So, you know, you see the immediacy of it in terms of how impactful and how powerful Brand Jamaica is and the confidence that the travel advisors have in the brand of Sandals and Beaches,” he added.

Jones explained that the one-week familiarisation and promotional programme took the hundreds of travel advisors from the United States, Canada, South America, and the United Kingdom across the island, exposing them to the best of what Jamaica has to offer.

“So even though it was a full Sandals initiative, Jamaica was really put on show,” he said, pointing out that the promotion was well thought out months in advance.

Adam Stewart, executive chairman of Sandals Resorts International, described Jamaica Love as “a smashing success”, saying that it reminded the travel agents of the magic of what Jamaica represents.

“From our magnificent culture, the sounds of reggae music through the valleys, to our craft vendors and street food, the rhythm of Jamaica simply hits harder than other parts of the world,” said Stewart, who is also executive chairman of the Jamaica Observer.

“Out of sight and out of mind is a real thing, there is no substitution for reconnecting with the product that is Jamaica. This was our mission with Jamaica Love and we’re now seeing the fruits of that investment in our forward bookings for 2025, which will go far beyond just the Sandals brand,” added Stewart who also chairs the Tourism Linkages Network.

“Jamaica is shining bright in the international travel marketplace. I’d like to thank all the stakeholders from the business community, the agricultural sector, Customs, and immigration, the supply side of tourism, art and craft vendors, all the various associations the Jamaica Hotel Tourist Association (JHTA), the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and, of course, (Tourism) Minister Ed Bartlett. Jamaica Love hit harder, and we couldn’t be more proud to be the catalyst to remind the world,” he said.

The update from both men comes after JHTA President Robin Russell expressed confidence that the winter tourist season, which officially opens on December 15 and runs to mid-April, will be strong.

“We’re now seeing the numbers start to slowly increase, so we’re getting there and we’re seeing a very strong pickup for this winter, which is to run from mid-December onwards. It has been normal for us to have a little flat period between Thanksgiving and Christmas and after that things start to pick up; however, from all indications, what we’re seeing for the period are very strong numbers which should continue into the new year and so we are encouraged,” Russell told the Observer at the time.

In 2023, Jamaica welcomed a record 4.1 million visitors, a 25.5 per cent increase over 2022. Earnings in 2023 were projected to be $4.3 billion, a 17.8 per cent increase on 2022 and a 17.2 per cent increase from 2019.

The industry provides direct employment for approximately 175,000 Jamaicans, while 354,000 Jamaicans benefit from indirect employment.

Last month, American ultra-low-cost airline Avelo began a twice-weekly service from from Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Connecticut, to Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay.

Recently, Air Canada announced that it will be making 14 weekly flights into the island for the 2024/25 winter tourist season.

“We will be flying three times per week from Montreal to Montego Bay; seven times a week from Toronto to Montego Bay, and also four times a week from Toronto to Kingston,”Air Canada Vacations Vice-President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer Hugo Coulombe told travel partners and stakeholders at the 28th annual Canadian Travel Golf Tournament Dinner held at the Sandals Ocho Rios Beach Resort in St Ann.

Coulombe noted that Jamaica has always been a preferred destination for visitors from Canada, which is Jamaica’s second biggest source market behind the United States.

“Air Canada Vacations has been in business in Jamaica for more than 40 years… and this is without counting the 75 years that Air Canada has been flying to Jamaica,” he pointed out.

Recently, Minister Bartlett announced that Spanish carrier World2Fly will begin weekly flights between Lisbon, Portugal, and Montego Bay, Jamaica, next summer that should enhance visitor arrivals from that continent by approximately 7,000 passengers between June and September.

Bartlett also pointed to record-breaking visitor arrivals from the United Kingdom, based on JTB data showing a 14 per cent year on year increase in arrivals for the first half of this year.

“We are looking good and we will make every effort to continue in growing the sector,” the JHTA’s Russell said.

“Sandals had a mega Jamaica Love show which showcased the country in a strong way and the JTB has also been doing a lot of work in the market as they intensify promotions — they’re just about finished with some roadshows across most of the US. Between these two major shows, among other efforts, what we have seen is a heightened interest in Jamaica and we are definitely encouraged by it,” Russell added.

The Sandals Resorts International boss Adam Stewart had said the Jamaica Love promotion was part of an initiative to further enhance the Caribbean tourism experience while driving innovation in the destinations where the resort group operates.

“Today is a gathering of the tourism ecosystem; this is what we do and we believe strongly in the future. Jamaica is having a moment, and it’s never been better,“ Stewart told the 1,000 agents and partners then.

Bartlett agreed and praised Stewart and the Sandals team for the initiative.

“Listening to his plans, I felt what it means to regenerate, to re-imagine, to reposition, and to create what is a renaissance that will move Sandals and Jamaica tourism to the next level in this post-COVID period,” Bartlett told the travel partners.

Jones, in his interview with the Sunday Observer, acknowledged challenges Jamaica faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and this year with the US travel advisories.

“You can’t take away the challenges that COVID presented to us, but coming out of COVID, we started to look a little bit better. As I said, 2024 is a tough year with the travel advisories, but now Jamaica is starting to show its shining star and its bright lights again, and we’re happy with what we’re seeing in the advanced bookings,” he said.