Jamaica’s tourism industry is growing despite US travel advisories

Paramount Pictures’ “Bob Marley: One Love,” starring Kingsley Ben-Adir, is expected to assist boost Jamaica’s tourism in 2024, following a surge in tourist numbers in 2023.

Donovan White, director of tourism for the Jamaica Tourist Board, reportedly indicated in February that tourist numbers in 2023 are expected to extend by 18% in comparison with 2019 figures. the country earned $4.3 billion, and the island was visited by roughly 4.1 million people, not including cruise ship passengers.

Jamaica is too adding hundreds of hotel rooms and repair flights from the United States to Jamaica. White told Travel Agent Central: “With an overall return visit rate of 42%, complementing our extraordinary growth in arrivals, we are confident that 2024 will be another record year. In addition, we continue to add new flights from key gateways and will be opening several new hotels throughout the year to support our tourism growth trajectory.”

In 2022, Jamaica added 8,000 hotel rooms, contributing $2 billion and creating jobs for twenty-four,000 hotel employees, including full- and part-time employees. In addition, the event of the hotel industry led to the creation of 12,000 jobs for construction employees. White recently announced that 15,000 hotel rooms are expected to open in Jamaica over the following five to seven years. Of this total, greater than 2,000 rooms are expected to be added in 2024 on the 4 properties.

Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, said that in 2022 official statement: “We are delighted with the event of the local tourism industry, which can undoubtedly have a positive impact on the economy and directly profit hundreds of Jamaicans. Indeed, tourism is a supply chain industry that spans many economic sectors, including construction, agriculture, manufacturing, banking and transportation.

Despite information from the US Department of State, tourism and hospitality data are encouraging for the island nation issuing a level 3 travel advisory. As reported, a Level 3 advisory is the second highest alert level. The The State Department warned“Violent crimes such as home burglaries, armed robberies, sexual assaults and homicides are common. Sexual assaults are common, including at all-inclusive resorts.”

The travel advisory continues: ‘Local police often don’t respond effectively to serious crime incidents. When arrests do occur, cases rarely end in a final verdict. “Families of U.S. citizens who die in accidents or homicides often wait a year or more for final death certificates to be issued by Jamaican authorities.”

The Jamaica Tourist Board responded in a press release: “(T)listed below are very clearly defined areas in Jamaica which were identified within the advisory as having a high risk of crime, so many of the island’s tourism products remain unaffected. Overall, the crime rate against visitors to Jamaica stays extremely low at 0.01%.

The board continued: “The island consistently ranks among the top international travel destinations, welcoming 4.1 million visitors in 2023, including approximately 3 million from the United States. Visitors can continue to come and enjoy all that Jamaica has to offer with confidence.”

Bartlett said the country was experiencing spectacular development. “Jamaica continues to break records for tourist arrivals, showing spectacular growth,” Bartlett said. “It is extremely satisfying that we remain the top destination for travelers from abroad, as well as from our main source market, the United States, and maintain our position as one of the world’s leading travel destinations. Based on the numbers to date, we fully expect to record our eleventh consecutive quarter of significant expansion.”