2014 To Be A Banner Year For Tourism – Tourism Director

Director of Tourism, John Lynch, says that 2014 will be a banner year for destination Jamaica.

Having just completed a historic year in terms of the number of stopover visitors in any one calendar year, the country is poised for an exceptional year ahead, said Mr. Lynch, at a Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) media luncheon on Monday, January 13, at the Half Moon A Rock Resort in Montego Bay.

According to the Tourism Director, the tourism product is the best it has been in years, highlighting the diversity and range of offerings; the number of established brands in the hotel portfolio; the available room stock; the active events calendar; the comprehensive marketing programme; and available airline seats to the country.

“Our target for the current winter season is over one million seats.  This represents an increase of nearly 50,000 seats, which is almost a five per cent increase over the last winter season,” he stated.

The Tourism Director stated that the success of tourism is not based solely on the efforts of entities in the sector, but is also a product of Jamaicans excelling in various areas and capturing the attention of the world.

“There is a certain mystique in the indomitable spirit of our people to thrive and do well in whatever we pursue.  The indescribable feeling and vibe that you get here is found nowhere else in the world (and) that …is what has caused us to have so many new and repeat visitors each year,” he stated.