Tourism Minister seeking to tap into South American market

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the Ministry is seeking to establish partnerships with major airlines operating out of South America, to tap into potential tourist markets in that region.
Speaking at media briefing at his Ministry, New Kingston, on Tuesday November 30, Mr. Bartlett noted the success and benefits accruing to Jamaica from similar partnerships with North American airlines operating out of the United States and Canada, and the possibility of similar success with their South American counterparts.
He said that the arrangement with American Airlines has not only given tremendous results, earning some US$70 million for Jamaica as well as providing 74,000 arrivals over the period but, as a result Jamaica is now seeing increased flights from North America, without any requirement for support.
“The whole purpose of doing these relationships and creating these partnerships with airlines, is to establish routes and, thereafter, to allow those to grow and expand and for us to get better services and flights coming from those partnerships,” the Minister pointed out.
He stressed the need to pursue similar arrangements with South American airlines in order to target and “open up” areas, such Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia, which he described as ‘powerful, potent markets” important to us.
He said this would need advertising and promotions within those areas, because promotions have to be done ahead of time to enable the airlift to flow.
“You are not going to get relationships with these airlines, unless you are also doing that work. They must see that the market is responding to you so that, yes, they can take the risk, along with you, to start the route and then, after you have built the route, they fly (in),” he reasoned.
While unable to disclose the cost for the undertaking, indicating that the proceedings are in the preliminary stages, Mr. Bartlett disclosed that several marketing models would be explored.
He also disclosed that the island was assured of the availability of one million seats by airlines worldwide partnering with Jamaica, to airlift visitors to the island for the forthcoming winter season, which officially starts on December 15. He said that North America accounts for close to 800,000 of these, with some 700,000 expected out of the United States and approximately 200,000 from Canada.
“So the areas of the strongest market pull are the areas, of course, that we have the strongest connectivity, and correctly so,” he said, noting that out of Canada, there has been a 22 per cent increase in airlift, which is a signal of market strength and the level of growth that Jamaica has had and is anticipating for the coming winter season.