Jamaica targets new travelers

A whopping 1.4 million visitors arrived in Jamaica this summer, making this a 16 percent jump over the highest record in 2019. The chief contributors accounting for this influx of almost a 75 percent increase of all visitors, are Americans. This came as an announcement from the Director of Tourism, at the Jamaica Tourist Board, Donovan White.

Director White was speaking in Montego Bay, Jamaica at the Wild Orchid Resort at the Caribbean Meeting and Incentive Travel Exchange breakfast, last Tuesday. White announced that, “business is back and in person events are once again being well attended.”

In continuing to speak on the improvement the tourism industry is experiencing, White said, “we here in Jamaica could not be more pleased, as group business has long been a key component of our strategy for the development and growth of the tourism product.”

The director of tourism explained to attendees  that while meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) travel are not measured by percentage due to the varied sizes of the groups visiting and the dynamic nature of the meetings, tourism stakeholders have been reporting bookings for large groups several months ahead of time.

The tourism director also noted that Jamaica is pleased to have been chosen to host the Caribbean Meeting and Incentive Travel Exchange meeting for the third time, but he reminded the audience that Jamaica has put the work in to ensure that it could once again host meetings of this nature. “So, we’ve worked very hard over the last two and a half to three years since COVID, to re-build Jamaica’s appetite for business travel, meetings and conventions,” White acknowledged.  Mr. White confirmed his message by explaining further that, “our hotels have adequate meeting spaces, and our partners who are interested in segment of the market have ensured that their hotels have the necessary facilities to accommodate small, medium and even 600-person groups,” he added.

The objective of the Caribbean Meeting and Incentive Travel Exchange (CMITE) series of meeting is to promote Jamaica as a warm weather destination of choice with the personnel, infrastructure, and its strong cultural appeal that will result in reservations for meetings and incentive groups. In addition, to foster meaningful industry relationships with North American meeting planners, such as the wellness brand Questex, and incentive buyers with leading Caribbean and Mexican-based suppliers.

With the increase of visitors to Jamaica, the Jamaican Immigration customs Agency has announced also that travelers should be informed that Jamaica has now implemented a procedure that each traveler to the island complete the C5 Immigration/Customs Form online before their arrival to Jamaica. This effort is to help reduce waiting time upon their arrival to the island making the process less hectic.