by Brian Major
Last updated: 4:30 PM ET, Tue August 17, 2021
Jamaica this week recorded its one-millionth visitor since the country's June 15, 2020 border reopening following the pandemic outbreak, Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) officials said Monday.
Daynel Williams arrived on JetBlue flight 1179 from New York and was greeted at Montego Bay's Sangster International Airport by Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica's tourism minister, Donovan White, the country's director of tourism, and other officials.
Bartlett called Williams' arrival "an exciting milestone in Jamaica's tourism recovery," and "the Jamaica CARES program, which has above all else prioritized the health and safety of Jamaican citizens and visitors." Travel to Jamaica has proven strong even as the destination has struggled with COVID-19 spikes and local curfews.
Jamaica CARES health and safety protocols include entry testing, COVID-19 training for hospitality workers and travel authorization for all travelers to the island, Bartlett said. Jamaica's government also required COVID-19 compliance certification for hotels and attractions.
"This is the fastest we have achieved one million visitors starting from zero arrivals," said Bartlett. "We are already seeing the signs of recovery with tourism workers being back on the job."
He said Jamaican visitor arrivals for 2023 are projected to reach 3.7 million visitors, with 2024 forecast to surpass 2019's record levels, totaling 4.2 million visitors. Jamaica recorded 4.23 million land-based and cruise-ship travelers in 2019, the most in the country's history.
JTB this week launched a promotional campaign, "Fall in Love with Jamaica Again and Again" featuring special offers for bookings made through August 25, 2021. The program will also include in-person seminars for travel advisors across the Northeast and Midwest.
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