Jamaica Attractive Destination for Luxury Vacation Seekers – Tourism Director
By: , September 19, 2022
Photo: Adrian Walker
Director of Tourism, Jamaica Tourist Board, Donovan White, speaks at a JIS ‘Think Tank’, on September 12.The Full Story
Jamaica is “well-positioned as an attractive destination” for luxury vacation seekers, says Director of Tourism, Jamaica Tourist Board, Donovan White.
Speaking at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’, on September 12, Mr. White explained that the Jamaican spirit and culture is “endearing” to visitors.
“It is our music, our food, our culture, our entertainment. It’s endearing for Jamaica to own the fastest man ever and the fastest woman in the world and so many other superstars, Bob Marley, Dennis Brown and Miss Lou. It makes people curious; whether you are affluent or not, you are curious about this little place that you hear everybody talking about,” Mr. White said.
He argued that these are among the attributes that make Jamaica an attractive destination “for just about everybody of all types, kinds and affluence.”
Mr. White said the country’s earnings have grown over the last few years, as a result of visitors staying longer and spending more money in the island.
Between 2019 and 2022, the average length of visitor stay moved from around 6.9 nights to just over 8 nights and the average daily rate increased from US$168 to US$180 per person, per day.
Mr. White explained that Jamaica’s allure, particularly to more affluent visitors, is not a new phenomenon, as the country has been attracting “stars.”
“From as far back as 1955, 1960, 1965, the destination has always been an allure to the Hollywood stars. There have been several sightings of not just movie stars but also designers who own properties in Jamaica and who come three, four times a year and bring their friends and family with them,” he noted.
He added that Jamaica is the “heartbeat of the world [and] people want to experience what that means [and] what that represents for their tastes, preferences and affluence.”
To capitalise on this, the Ministry of Tourism will launch its Innovation-based Tourism Incubator on September 30 during Tourism Awareness Week. The Incubator is geared towards generating innovative ideas to create new or different experiences for visitors to the island.