Jamaica’s tourism industry will close out 2023 in record-breaking mode, with the country set to welcome 4,122,000 visitors for the January to December period while chalking up earnings of US$4.2 billion.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett provided the update during a statement in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

He said the numbers signal an increase of 23.7 per cent over the total number of visitors recorded in 2022. Of this number, nearly three million (2,875,549) are expected to be stopover visitors, which would represent an increase of 16 per cent over the number of stopover arrivals recorded in 2022.

“Additionally, we expect to end the year with a total of 1,246,551 cruise passengers, which would represent a 46.1 per cent increase over the tally for 2022,” said Bartlett.

He noted that “This continues the spectacular growth pattern of tourism; both in terms of visitor arrivals as well as for earnings. Indeed, we have gone 10 consecutive quarters since the COVID-19 pandemic showing significant growth”.

“Based on arrival figures to date, all indications are that we will be having an 11th quarter of substantial growth,” he added.

By way of earnings, Bartlett highlighted that “this influx of visitors is expected to generate a whopping US$4.265 billion for 2023, representing a projected increase of 17.8 per cent over the revenue secured in 2022, and a 17.2 per cent increase in revenue over the pre-pandemic year of 2019”.

“Therefore, if we continue on our impressive growth trajectory, we will be on track to surpass our projections of four million visitors and foreign exchange earnings of US$4.1 billion by year end”.

Bartlett was dismissive of the argument that the country generally was not benefitting from tourism or that all of the earnings was being repatriated. He outlined that an estimated US$336 million or J$52 billion would be retained in the country and provided a further estimated breakdown of these revenues to specifically include direct revenues to the coffers of the government as follows:

-TEF fees which go straight to the Consolidated Fund – US$57.5 million or J$8.9 billion

– Departure Tax – US$100.6 million or J$15.6 billion

– Airport Improvement Fee – US$28.8 million or J$4.47 billion

– Airline Passenger Levy – US$57.5 million or J$8.9 billion

– Passenger Fees and Charges – US$69 million or J$10.7 billion

– Guest Accommodation Room Tax (GART) – US$22.6 million or J$3.5 billion.

The tourism minister stressed that “These are only the direct revenues. We have not factored in the indirect revenues which are multiple times larger and include monies spent at restaurants, shops, supermarkets, craft vendors, attractions, ground transportation operators, tour guides, Airbnbs, the many thousands employed directly and indirectly and beyond that – linkages through farmers, manufacturers, distributors, other suppliers, construction activities and so on”.