KIMGSTON, Jamaica – Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has disclosed that extreme cold weather conditions in the United States (US) negatively impacted visitor arrivals early this year.

But he expressed that there are signs of a rebound in February.

“Tourism is susceptible to an element of disruption as a result of weather. Extreme freezing conditions in the US, [in] some of our main gateways have impacted the flow of arrivals for the first month and a half,” Bartlett said.

“But we’re picking back up in February. Looking much better. We will be on track to realise our intended outcomes for the winter season,” he stressed.

The minister noted that despite the setback in projections, the sector continues to experience growth, although flat.

Bartlett explained that expansion in the South American and Eastern European markets has been making up for the shortfall in the US.

“The better news is that we are expanding South America. We now have new flights coming out of Lima, Peru. In the next two weeks from now we will get conclusion of an arrangement with Avianca to have new flights coming out of Colombia,” the tourism minister said.

“The better news in all of this is that our visitor facilitation arrangements, in terms of visa arrangement, is heading in the right direction and within another few days we will make a major announcement in relation to that in terms of one of the largest partners in the Caribbean,” he added.

He was speaking to reporters in Montego Bay, St James on Wednesday as Avelo Airlines launched its first scheduled international route between Jamaica’s Sangster International Airport (MBJ) and the Research Triangle’s Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) in North Carolina.

“Today we welcome yet another flight from our main source market, the United States, this time from Raleigh and the Avelo flight, which is an important addition to the airlift capacity which Jamaica has for this winter season,” Bartlett said.