Jamaica Voted Among Top Ten Holiday Dream Escapes for 2008

Jamaica has been voted among the top 10 ‘Holiday Dream Escapes’ by TripAdvisor, the travel guide and research website, in its December holiday travel survey.
The more than 1,800 travellers surveyed ranked Jamaica seventh, ahead of Rome, with the Bahamas ninth and Tahiti 10th. Hawaii was voted the number one Holiday Dream Escape.
Jamaica’s Director of Tourism, John Lynch, said he was pleased with the high ranking, noting that it is indicative of the popularity of the island as a great vacation option. “We are excited that the travellers of TripAdvisor have selected Jamaica. The honour is especially important as it is based on real travelers’ experiences. We hope that more people will visit our wonderful destination to experience first-hand, the amazing offerings because as we say ‘Jamaica…Once You Go, You Know’.”
TripAdvisor is the world’s largest travel community where persons can get real information, advice, and opinions from millions of travellers to plan and take the perfect trip.
Vice President of Global Communications for TripAdvisor, Michele Perry said that “even though the majority of travellers visit family for the holidays, we all like to imagine where we could go to escape the stress and pressure of the season, whether it be a warm, tropical locale or a historically rich European city. In the case of Jamaica, travellers clearly realise what an exceptional place it is to escape to over the holidays”.
Despite the global economic downturn and declining overseas travel, Jamaica remains a popular destination choice, with more than 70,000 visitors passing through the Sangster International Airport during the first three weeks of December. Overall, arrivals at the island’s two international airports are up by 7.3 per cent over the previous year.
There continues to be significant investment in the sector, with hotels and attractions being developed, while the airports are being expanded and modernised. The island’s room stock has also increased at a rapid rate over the last three years.
For details on upcoming special events, attractions and accommodations in Jamaica, visit the Jamaica Tourist Board’s website at www.visitjamaica.com, or call 1-800-JAMAICA (1-800-526-2422).