ROSE HALL, St James — Jamaica is currently experiencing a significant surge in visitor arrivals, expanded airlift, and stronger trade partnerships from Latin America, one of the island’s key tourism markets,

That revelation was made by Alex Pace, chief executive officer of Global Marketing and Sales and Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) regional representative during his address Monday, the second day of the Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) 2025 at Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James.

Latin America currently has a population of 668 million and, with the Caribbean, a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of $7.3 trillion.

Speaking on the topic ‘Latin Lift: Unlocking Opportunities for Jamaica in the Latin American Market’, Pace gave an overview of the growth following the COVID-19 pandemic. Latin America was the last region in the world to establish connectivity following the pandemic.

“When we compare the year-over-year increase in arrivals, right now we see a 77 per cent increase compared to last year. When we look at the amount of seats that we increased from the region, we’re almost 75 per cent, creating a great platform for what’s coming in 2026. We foresee an estimated seat increase of 43.8 per cent for 2026,” he told the trade show.

Year-on-year total stopover arrivals by country between January and June showed Argentina leading at 8,158, Chile at 4,631, and Peru at 3,736. Taking fifth place is Mexico at 3,320, followed by Colombia at 2,775, Brazil at 2,644, and Panama at 1,439.

Pace said October through March is going to create “a huge impact for us”.

“When you look at the markets and you compare the amount of traffic that they’re generating, Argentina today is our number one market with a 111 per cent increase compared to last year. And, just because of LATAM [Airlines] coming into the equation, this year we see a significant increase. And I remember LATAM has a hub in Lima, Peru, and it connects to Jamaica through there. Obviously, Argentina, it’s a very, very important market for us,” emphasised Pace.

Last December LATAM Airlines resumed flights between Lima and Montego Bay, marking a significant milestone in Caribbean-Latin American air connectivity.

Chile, despite its smaller population of just 18 million, has become the second-largest contributor of arrivals to Jamaica.

“Peru, as a point of origin, we’ve seen a tremendous increase from Lima, Peru — 444 per cent. That is huge! This is compared to last year. So, every time you look into the region, you got to look at these numbers and you got to be strategic in how you position your brand, your hotel, your attraction in the marketplace,” stated Pace.

“These numbers speak for themselves. And obviously, this could not happen without the support and the leadership of the Jamaica Tourist Board and I want to acknowledge that,” he added.

For the 2025-26 winter season, Jamaica is projected to see a further increase in Latin America seat capacity.

“When you look at the winter season, this is a big surprise that is coming into Jamaica this year, towards the latter part of the year, and eventually the beginning of next year. Our strategy was very laser-focused. We wanted to make sure that we penetrate the market because it’s a huge area, geographically, [and] very strategic,” explained the tourism expert.

Pace said the strategy started with Chile, Argentina, Peru, and Colombia — a country of 52 million people.

“We’re in some very, very strong conversation for great things to happen out of Colombia. [Some may] recall that Colombia was a key market for us many, many years ago. So, Colombia is bouncing back. And evidently, we’re working very closely with those two big markets that need to be treated completely separately — talking about Brazil, and particularly in Mexico. And, we have great surprises on that as well,” he noted.

Pace said Panama-based Copa Airlines has remained a steadfast partner throughout the pandemic. LATAM, with its hub in Lima, has also reopened vital links, while new charter services from Ecuador marked the country’s first Jamaica-bound flights in more than five years.

Going forward, the tourism expert projects a 43.8 per cent increase in airline seat capacity by 2026, with a focus on unlocking major opportunities in Brazil and Mexico.