Counting India as one of the markets that represent huge opportunities, Jamaica Tourism Board has made a debut in India with participation at the ongoing SATTE 2024 to connect with key India stakeholders.

In a bid to develop and deepen its tourism relationships within India’s tourism industry, the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) is participating for the first-time ever at SATTE 2024 that began at India Expo Mart near Delhi on Thursday.

According to a press statement, JTB’s debut at SATTE 2024 signifies the importance of India as one of the major potential source markets for travel to Jamaica. 

JTB adds that the Indian market represents huge opportunities to build outbound travel. The board is currently looking at increasing their tourism activities in India and among the India diaspora, residing in Canada, the US and the UK.

JTB says that India continues to be a significant market for Jamaica and the JTB’s presence at SATTE is a great way for the island destination to interact with Indian travel fraternity.

It says that there is a huge market for weddings, a confluence of cricket, a rapidly growing middle and upper middle class, over time better flight connectivity and a very active Indian community in Jamaica itself that will drive growth from this increasingly lucrative market.

The statement adds that during the ongoing SATTE 2024, visitors to the JTB Booth can discover Jamaica’s world-class hotels, rejuvenating spa and wellness offerings, adventure activities as well as business travel incentives in the MICE space. 

“India is an emerging market that Jamaica intends to leverage to increase our arrivals and earnings. It represents huge possibilities cultural exchange, and we look forward to showcasing our diverse offerings and warm Jamaican hospitality,” says Donovan White, Director of Tourism of Jamaica, on Jamaica’s debut participation at SATTE 2024.

The board says that Jamaica’s tourism sector had a record year in 2023, with a report indicating that the influx of visitors exceeded both the figures from 2022 and the pre-pandemic record established in 2019.

JTB says that approximately 4.1 million travellers visited the country in 2023, marking a 16 pc rise from the previous year and a 7.5 pc growth compared to the numbers in 2019.