After the pandemic, Jamaica's tourism sector is driving the recovery; its economy grew 5.7 percent in the year's second quarter.
Tourism and hospitality have contributed significantly to such economic growth, according to the latest report of The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ).
In Jamaica, not only have international arrivals already far exceeded the figures for 2021 but, according to figures from its tourism board, the length of stay has returned to 2019 levels of 7.9 nights and, more importantly, the average expenditure per visitor has increased from $168 per person per night to $182.
Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, has confirmed that "the tourism sector is generating more foreign exchange per visitor, so there is more money circulating in the economy in general, and this benefits several actors in the industry."
Likewise, Jamaica is experiencing, this year, the highest number of arrivals of international visitors in comparison with any summer period in the history of the Caribbean country.
This summer brought 5,000 more visitors than in 2019, a record year. In addition, the country's tourism profits have increased by 20 percent over the previous year.
"This is the best summer tourism has ever experienced in Jamaica's history," Bartlett said at the welcoming ceremony of the 18th Annual U.S. Travel Advisor Golf Tournament at Sandals Ochi Rios Beach Resort in St. Ann.
He mentioned that the tourism sector had projected for 2022 the arrival of 2.6 million visitors, not including cruise passengers, and $4.2 billion in profits, figures before the Covid-19 pandemic Jamaica expected to reach by 2025.
The minister stressed that Jamaica's economy has registered up to five consecutive quarters of growth, led by the tourism sector.
He exemplified with 5.7 percent economic increase registered in the April-June quarter of 2022, which the tourism and hospitality sector led, contributing 55.4 percent of the rise.
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