Record 42,000 Visitors Arrive During First Week of 2022/23 Winter Tourist Season

Jamaica’s 2022/23 winter tourist season, which commenced on December 15, has got off to a flying start with the island, so far, welcoming more than 40,000 visitors.

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, describes the start as “the strongest in the history of Jamaica”.

“We were able to welcome over the weekend, from December 15 to 18, a total of 42,000 visitors. That includes 37,000 stopover and 5,000 cruise visitors… something nobody would have predicted this early in our recovery [from the COVID-19 pandemic],” he told JIS News.

Mr. Bartlett, who described this out-turn as a “dream start”, said more than 11,000 stopover visitors arrived on approximately 61 flights landing at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay on December 17, making it the biggest number recorded in a single day.

He pointed out that the arrivals number is “not only a record for the sector, but further underscores the robust post-pandemic recovery that the tourism industry continues to enjoy”.

Mr. Bartlett advised that the out-turn for the cruise shipping sector has also been impressive, noting that over 80 per cent of the passengers arriving on the Carnival Sunrise, which docked in St. Ann on December 15, disembarked.

‘The ship had some 3,000 passengers and 1,200 crew, and they were all over Ocho Rios and were busy spending and enjoying our tourism offerings. The same thing has occurred [elsewhere] as passengers disembarked ships that have docked in Falmouth, including Royal Caribbean Cruise vessels,” he added.

Mr. Bartlett said all the other major cruise lines continue to find favour with Jamaica and anticipates that the 2022/23 season “will be great”.

Mr. Bartlett said the “amazing” arrival figures were “evidence of the hard work that the Ministry, its public bodies, and tourism partners have put into marketing Destination Jamaica”.

The Minister, who said the season is “shaping up to be the best winter Jamaica has ever had”, pointed out that there is every indication the numbers will continue to grow.

He said the work Jamaica has undertaken, in relation to marketing, safety and seamlessness within the industry, has been yielding significant dividends.

Mr. Bartlett maintained that the marketing team at the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and other Ministry agencies must be credited for what he described as “an exceptionally well-done job”.

“We are satisfied that the tourism sector has effectively recovered. We are equally satisfied that the market is responding strongly to Jamaica. The forward bookings for the rest of the season are equally strong. We know that the market understands Jamaica and we know that the market appreciates the quality of the product and the excellence of the experience that we offer,” he added.

Mr. Bartlett said Jamaica remains at the forefront of the minds of the travel market stakeholders, pointing out that “our efforts to enhance our tourism product” continue to bear fruit.

“We are, indeed, a first-call destination, which makes it even more important to continue to do everything that we can to enhance the security, seamlessness and beauty of our destination,” he further stated.