Travel Restrictions to be eased for Visitors

The Government is working to ease travel restrictions, particularly visa requirements, for visitors from new and emerging markets entering the island.

This was announced by Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, while making his contribution to the 2012/13 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives, on July 3.

“We are working with the Ministry of National Security to remove the barriers to entry for visitors from the new and emerging markets, which we are now entering, such as visa requirements. We have already started this process with the revision of visa requirements for persons from Latin American countries,” he said.

Dr. McNeill said the Government has already secured a one year extension on the visa waivers for persons from Colombia, Venezuela and Panama.

He pointed out that revision of visa requirements for countries in Eastern Europe such as Russia, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, have also been requested. “The fact is Jamaica has to revisit its approach to travel facilitation,” he said.

“We currently have designations that were applied before the Cold War ended. There are significant benefits to be reaped from improving the visa regimes and making travel more hassle free as we invite persons to come to Jamaica and experience our hospitality,” he said.

By Chris Patterson, JIS Reporter