KINGSTON, Jamaica — The construction of six new hotels totalling 5,600 rooms and housing solutions for 1,000 hotel workers will commence during the current fiscal year.

This was revealed on Thursday by the Custos of Kingston, Steadman Fuller as he delivered the 2025 Throne Speech at Gordon House under the theme: ‘Jamaica’s Next Chapter, Aspiring to Greatness’. The Throne Speech outlines the Government’s priorities for the new parliamentary year.

Fuller noted that when completed, this will bring foreign direct investment of US$2.5 billion and 10,000 new jobs to the tourism sector.

He also stated that the “revolutionary” Tourism Workers Pension Scheme has now surpassed 10,000 registrations and savings under investment of $4 billion.

“This success reflects strategic planning, robust partnerships and a focus on sustainability and inclusivity,” said Fuller.

He also pointed to the Tourism Innovation Incubator, administered by the Tourism Enhancement Fund, which he said “fosters ground-breaking ideas, including virtual reality tours and health and wellness tourism”.

“Additionally, the Artisan Village was opened in April 2024 celebrating Jamaican culture and creativity, incorporating augmented reality to enhance visitor experiences and directly benefit local artisans,” Fuller added.

The custos said the Government was committed to reshaping tourism through:

— Digital transformation, automating licensing, applications, and training access to boost efficiency and stakeholder engagement;

—Culinary tourism, with the Montego Bay Convention Centre Gastronomy Institute, empowering chefs and showcasing Jamaican cuisine on the global stage; and

— Market diversification, targeting Latin America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, while expanding African American engagement in the United States.

“These initiatives are backed by expanded airlift capacity and dynamic marketing by the Jamaica Tourist Board,” said Fuller, while noting that Jamaica’s tourism sector demonstrated resilience, innovation and growth in 2024.

“It overcame challenges, including travel advisories and severe weather, to welcome 4.1 million visitors, generating US$4.3 billion in revenue. This moves the sector closer to the five by five by five goal; that is, five million visitors and US$5 billion in earnings by 2025.

“Tourism investments continue to show strong growth,” he remarked.