ST JAMES, Jamaica – Tourism officials are upbeat about an announcement by Spirit Airlines that non-stop flights between Hartford, Connecticut and Montego Bay will commence in December.

The year-round service to Montego Bay will operate four times per week, beginning December 15, 2022.

Senior advisor and strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright, said the new service is a major boost for Jamaica’s tourism industry and the Diaspora.

“This is a very important development for us as a destination. Connecticut is one of the more affluent states in the United States. It’s a part of the United States northeastern seaboard. There’s also a big Jamaica Diaspora there in the state. It’s also critical, we will now have a non’stop service from Hartford, the capital of the state, into Montego Bay, four times per week, starting December,” Seiveright said.

“That’s a big plus for the destination. They will not have to travel to New York’s John F Kennedy, or other airports to get to Jamaica. So it’s a big on convenience. And we expect that this will have a very positive impact on our tourism industry and also the ease of travel for many members of our Diaspora who would prefer to fly out of Hartford, straight into Jamaica.”

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett concurred that the flight out of Hartford will not only be convenient to tourists travelling from the Tri -State, but the strong Diaspora population in Connecticut.

“We’re happy that now they don’t have to drive to New York and New Ark to get here, but right there in Bradley (airport) they can move straight to Montego Bay. So, we are seeing then, that the tri-state area, what is traditionally called the northeastern seaboard is strengthening. That’s the bread and butter area for tourism out of the United States. So we’re excited about that,” Bartlett said.

“So we’re really happy about it. Yeah, it’s exciting and we’re really thankful that Spirit has moved forward that we’re really thankful also of the very supportive state governments and Connecticut.”