by Brian Major
Last updated: 11:45 AM ET, Thu July 19, 2018
A premiere Caribbean desination continues to post impressive visitor growth.
Overnight, land-based visitor arrivals to Jamaica increased 5.9 percent in the first six months of 2018 compared with the same period in 2017, while cruise passenger visits increased by 4.8 percent in 2018 versus the same period in 2017.
Jamaica hosted 1.25 million overnight visitor arrivals and more than one million cruise ship passengers in the first half of 2018, an increase of more than 100,000 guests compared with 2017. Jamaica is one of only six countries tracked by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) to exceed one million annual land-based visitors and one of eight to record more than one million annual cruise ship guests.
The increases came despite a January declaration of a state of emergency by Andrew Holness, Jamaica's prime minister. The declaration authorized "increased security measures" to curb "crime and violence" in St. James Parish, which includes the key Montego Bay tourist district.
In a statement, Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) officials attributed the increases to quick, decisive and sustained initiatives led by Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica's tourism minister, and Donovan White, the director of tourism, which successfully mitigated the possible negative outcomes from enhanced security measures implemented in the parish of St. James in January.
"While the implementation of enhanced security measures did stir a whirlwind of concerns locally and internationally, several overseas partners welcomed the initiative as a necessary step," said Bartlett,
Jamaica has also benefitted from strong hotel and resort development and investment, as major hospitality suppliers have targeted the island for future visitor growth despite the expressed security concerns. Several of Jamaica's classic luxury resorts are slated for significant renovations this year, while both major and regional airlines have added new flights to the destination, facilitating the growing visitor totals.
"[We] continue to support our nation's security apparatus in their efforts to make Jamaica a safe place for all," said Bartlett.
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