Jamaica to Benefit from Two New Direct Flights from the UK

Jamaica is slated to benefit from two new direct flights from the Midlands in the United Kingdom (UK) to Montego Bay, which the Jamaica Tourist Board has said, could bring a potential 9,000 extra visitors to the island.
The flights, which will be the first direct service from the Midlands to the island, will be operated by Airtours starting this summer, and Thomsonfly starting in May 2008.
From July 18, Airtours will begin a direct service from East Midlands Airport to Montego Bay, which will run for eight weeks during the summer. Flights are scheduled to depart the UK on Wednesdays and return on Thursdays. Meanwhile, Thomsonfly will operate a weekly charter service from Birmingham International Airport from May 5 to October 20 next year. The flights are scheduled to depart the UK on Mondays and return on Tuesdays.
JTB’s Regional Director for the UK/Northern Europe, Elizabeth Fox said that “these flights are a direct response to increased demand from the consumer for direct departures from regional airports”.
“The Midlands has traditionally always had a strong connection to Jamaica and boasts a vibrant Jamaican community. These extra flights are good news for Jamaicans living in the Midlands, who travel regularly to the island for business and to visit relatives, for holidaying Brits and for Jamaica’s tourist industry,” she stated.
To promote the new flights, the JTB recently paid a four-day visit to travel agents in the Midlands. The representatives called on more than 160 agents in Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Birmingham, Warwickshire and Staffordshire. The JTB also hosted two receptions at Jongleurs Bars in Nottingham and Birmingham, where the agents were treated to Jamaican cuisine. Agents, who attended had chance to meet suppliers and win JTB ‘fam’ trips, among other prizes.
The new flights from the Midlands are expected to enhance development now underway in the island’s tourist sector, which is experiencing an unprecedented growth in infrastructure, with some 10,000 rooms to be added by 2012.
In addition, work is underway to improve and develop a diverse range of quality accommodation from affordable bed and breakfast lodgings to super deluxe resorts catering to the visitor’s every need.