Jamaica Is Caribbean’s Fastest Growing Tourist Destination

Jamaica is now regarded as one of the world’s fastest-recovering countries, and the Caribbean’s fastest-growing tourist destination, says Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett.

Opening the 2022/2023 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (April 5), the Minister credited the achievement to the “excellent tactics and polices” that the Government put in place to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19).

He cited in particular, “our innovative resilient corridors, which cover most of the island’s tourism regions, and allow visitors to experience more of the country’s distinctive offerings”, noting that the compliant sites have been approved by the health authorities.

Minister Bartlett said that since the reopening of the tourism industry in June 2020, the established procedures governing the corridors have kept both guests and workers secure, resulting in Jamaica becoming one of the most sought-after destinations.

He added the United States (US) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classification of Jamaica at level one on its COVID-19 threat level system, is a further boost to the tourism sector.

“This is the absolute best position for any country to be in, and it puts Jamaica in an elite league, with just a handful of countries globally, for our very low COVID-19 incidence rate,” Minister Bartlett said.

He told the House that the Ministry will continue key partnerships, especially with the Tourism Vaccination Task Force, to ensure continuation of vaccination for tourism staff, noting that 70 per cent of workers and their families have been inoculated.