Jamaica Tourism Ministry to focus on India & APAC region

New strategies & higher budgets for boosting travel to Jamaica
2024-10-21
/
/ New Delhi
Jamaica Tourism Ministry to focus on India & APAC region

Jamaica boasts a large collection of luxury hotels (Photo: India Outbound)

In order to boost tourist traffic to Jamaica further, the country’s tourism ministry has set aside a higher marketing budget and developed new strategies, with a focus on India and other APAC countries.
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Jamaican tourism industry is headed for continued growth in the coming year as the country’s tourism stakeholders develop new growth strategies and the government sets aside a significant marketing budget of USD 6.3 million for overseas promotions.

These were some of the key announcements made by Jamaican Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett at the 63rd Annual General Meeting of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) that was held recently.

Bartlett told the gathering that the marketing budget allocated by the government for the ongoing fiscal year was the largest single amount the government has provided for marketing augmentation in history and that it was part of new strategies designed to ensure the country remains a top destination.

At the gathering, Bartlett urged the Jamaican tourism stakeholders to be innovative and adaptive to emerging trends to help Jamaica remain competitive globally. He also said that the country must remain prepared to receive a rising ‘wave of travellers’ and build the necessary infrastructure and capacity needed to offer a ‘superior service’.

“The issue is where these travellers will come from and where they will go. Our challenge is to create the capacity within Jamaica to benefit from this growing activity,” said Bartlett.

The Tourism Minister said that the country’s tourism industry continues to be resilient, outpacing general economic growth globally and expanding at a rate of 3 pc annually over the past 30 years. However, Bartlett cautioned that Jamaica must also keep its sights set on the evolving global landscape. “On our shoulders rests the economic fortunes of our country,” he said, in reference to the vital role of tourism in Jamaica’s economy.

Edmund Bartlett

Edmund Bartlett

“We have to be nimble, adaptive, and responsive to ensure that the growth we had after Covid-19 isn’t erased by the deluge of disruptions that came with the recovery,” Bartlett added.

In his speech, Bartlett also announced that tourism growth would be provided by an increase in air connectivity between Jamaica and South America, starting with LATAM Airlines launching new flights from Peru to Jamaica, which are set to begin December 1.

Bartlett told the gathering that there were also discussions underway with Azul Airlines to introduce flights from Belem in Brazil, and as well as with Avianca regarding other regions in South America, including Columbia. Expanding airlift is crucial to tapping into new markets and further diversifying Jamaica’s visitor base, said Bartlett.

With a plan to develop the Indian market rapidly, Bartlett said that Jamaica also has plans to embark upon a marketing blitz in India, that he said was one of the fastest-growing economies globally. That effort will include a roadshow planned for November, he added. “The Asian-Pacific countries will constitute the largest block of outbound tourism in the world. In two to five years, India will be the second most powerful economy. We are positioning Jamaica to be part of that growth,” Bartlett said.

Jamaica’s tourism officials also plan to target Eastern Europe and the Schengen area, regions that are viewed to offer “tremendous potential for inbound tourism.”

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