KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica has welcomed approximately 2.3 million visitors since the start of 2025, generating US$2.4 billion in earnings.

This was disclosed by Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, who further reported that the industry grew by two per cent in the first quarter of the year, contributing to a one per cent increase in Jamaica’s overall economic performance during the period.

“After Hurricane Beryl and all the disruptions – travel advisories, political and geopolitical issues – we are back on the growth path, and that’s going to continue,” Bartlett said, highlighting the sector’s resilience and renewed momentum despite challenges faced in 2024.

He was speaking during the opening ceremony for the 11th ‘Christmas in July’ trade show at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Bartlett anticipates a significant increase in tourism earnings for the current quarter, compared to the corresponding period last year, which is attributable to the sector’s strong rebound from the disruptions caused by Hurricane Beryl.

“I’m worried about how big the growth is going to look for this quarter because… you’re comparing a Beryl period to now, a normal period. But that’s how growth goes, because you’re measuring against another period. The good news is that you’re back to where you were in 2023,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Bartlett encouraged the 180 exhibitors showcasing a wide range of Jamaican-made products to capitalise on the sector’s growth.

He noted that Jamaica’s nearly three million stopover arrivals have created a robust market demand that local entrepreneurs are urged to tap into.

“A new demand has been created for goods and services that must be supplied by you; and if it is not supplied by you, it is going to have to be imported. If it is imported, then we are going to have what we call leakage. That is to say, the [earnings] that [have] come from tourism will leave by the same plane that brings the visitors or the same ship that brings the cruise passenger. We want the money to stay here,” he added.

The two-day ‘Christmas in July’ trade show, which ended on Friday, provided an opportunity for local producers and creatives to showcase their work and products, while networking with potential consumers from the tourism sector, corporate Jamaica, and international organisations.

The event is an initiative of the Tourism Linkages Network, a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), in partnership with Government agencies and the private sector.

–         JIS