by Brian Major
Last updated: 10:37 AM ET, Tue October 4, 2022
Jamaica has welcomed more than five million visitors since reopening its borders in June 2020 following the pandemic outbreak, said Edmund Bartlett, the country's minister of tourism. Bartlett said the Caribbean destination achieved its best-ever summer season in terms of traveler arrivals in 2022.
Jamaica hosted more than 224,000 overnight, land-based arrivals in June, compared with the 222,000 arrivals recorded in June 2019, Bartlett said. The country also achieved $5.7 billion in tourism earnings since its reopening, Bartlett said. In all, the destination hosted 5,173,000 visitors including overnight arrivals and cruise passengers.
"Through [the Ministry of Tourism's] thought leadership, Jamaica was able to reopen its borders at the height of the pandemic and remain open to allow visitors to travel to the island safely and seamlessly," he said.
Jamaica's strong visitor arrivals and recovery are occurring "amidst disruptions that the pandemic is causing in the airline industry with flight cancellations and supply chain disruptions," said Bartlett. Since its June 2020 reopening, Jamaica has welcomed approximately 5,173,000 visitors including stopover arrivals and cruise passengers, Bartlett said.
"Tourism is a key driver in the overall economic recovery for Jamaica and these numbers augur well for the economy, lives and livelihoods," Bartlett said. Jamaica is among several Caribbean countries that removed all COVID protocols and travel restrictions.
Jamaica is also among the leaders in third-quarter visitor growth, with a six percent increase compared with 2019 totals, according to data from travel analytics firm Forward Keys. The country's growth is projected to continue in the fourth quarter, with an anticipated eight percent increase in international arrivals. Jamaica is benefitting from expanding flights from U.S. cities.
Jamaica currently has 12 resort projects under development, representing 5,291 rooms, according to data from travel research firm STR. "We will continue our efforts to recover stronger as we work to surpass our 2019 achievements," said Donovan White, the Jamaica Tourist Board's director of tourism.
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