Jamaica’s overnight visitor arrival numbers over the past nine months have been relatively flat, according to Wykeham McNeill, the country’s tourism minister, due to challenges ranging from decreased airlift to unusually warm weather in key North American markets.

Jamaica recorded an 0.8 percent decrease in arrivals between May 2011 and January 31, McNeill said in his weekly meeting with the press in Kingston, Jamaica. Preliminary figures indicate overnight visitor arrivals for 2011 should increase 1.7 percent over 2010. “Most recently is the unseasonably warm weather in our main markets of the U.S. and Canada, the impact of which is shown in the December and January arrivals with a 2 and 3 percent decrease respectively," he said. On the other hand, cruise ship arrivals for the period increased by 25.4 percent.

Meanwhile, John Lynch, Jamaica’s director of tourism, will attend an upcoming airline conference in the Bahamas “with the mandate to continue the efforts to increase airlift especially direct lift out of the North East Tri-State area," said McNeill. The minister also announced the establishment of a special task force to address long lines at immigration areas in the island's airports. "They have been charged to return to me with an implementable plan by the end of March," he said.

Other initiatives will include advertising and promotional programs directed by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and focusing on New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. The programs will run through March.