Minister of Tourism Announces One Million Visitor Arrivals to Date for 2023

• At a destination press briefing held at the 41st Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) Caribbean Travel Marketplace in Barbados, Minister of Tourism the Hon. Edmund Bartlett announced that Jamaica has surpassed one million visitor arrivals year-to-date for 2023, reaching this milestone approximately one month earlier than in 2022.
• He noted that from January through December 2022 Jamaica welcomed 2,478,386 stopover arrivals, a 69.2% increase over 2021 and nearly a full recovery to 2019 highs. The projections ahead for 2023 through 2025, are that the country will attract more than 3.8 million visitors in 2023 and grow to more than 5 million visitors in 2025.
• In order to keep this growth on an upward trajectory, the country continues to build out new air service with new flights this year from Chicago Midway, Denver, St. Louis, Dallas, Kansas City, and London Gatwick.  It is also expanding and modernizing Sangster International Airport and has approximately 8,000 new hotel rooms slated for construction over the next two to five years. 
• The resurgence of the tourism industry has been the main driver of economic growth. The benefits are expected to continue as investments are being made and partnerships are being formed to boost the growth of the industry and by extension Jamaica.

(Source: JIS)