by daniel johnson
April 1, 2024
In February, the U.S. State Department issued a Level 3 travel advisory for Jamaica.
Paramount Pictures' Bob Marley: One Love, starring Kingsley Ben-Adir, is expected to help boost Jamaica's tourism in 2024, following an increase in tourist numbers in 2023.
as travel weekly According to reports, Donovan White, director of tourism at the Jamaica Tourism Board, said in February that tourist numbers are expected to increase by 18% in 2023 compared to 2019. In 2023, the country is expected to generate $4.3 billion in revenue and about 4.1 million people, not including cruise ship passengers, will visit the island.
Jamaica is also adding thousands of hotel rooms and service flights from the United States to Jamaica. Mr White told Travel Agent Central: “Overall repeat visitor rates have reached 42%, offsetting the impressive increase in visitor numbers, and we are confident that 2024 will be yet another record year. We will continue to add new air flights from our doorstep and open several new hotels throughout the year to support our tourism growth trajectory.”
In 2022, Jamaica added 8,000 hotel rooms, invested $2 billion and created 24,000 hotel jobs, including full-time and part-time employees. In addition, the expansion of the hotel industry created his 12,000 jobs for construction workers. Mr White recently said that 15,000 hotel rooms are expected to open in Jamaica over the next five to seven years. Of these, in 2024 he plans to add more than 2,000 rooms to four properties.
In 2022, Jamaica's Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said in an official statement: In fact, tourism is a supply chain industry that spans multiple economic sectors, including construction, agriculture, manufacturing, banking, and transportation. ”
Despite the US State Department issuing a Level 3 travel advisory, tourist and hospitality industry numbers are encouraging for the island nation.as NPR Level 3 advisory is the second highest alert level, according to the report. The State Department says, “Violent crimes such as home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and murders are on the rise. Sexual assaults occur frequently, including at all-inclusive resorts.”
The travel advisory goes on to say, “Local police often do not respond effectively to serious criminal incidents. When arrested, they are rarely prosecuted and convicted. Americans killed in accidents or homicides families often wait more than a year for a final death certificate to be issued by Jamaican authorities.
The Jamaica Tourism Board responded in a statement. NPR,”[T]The majority of the island's tourism product remains unaffected, as this is a very well-defined area within Jamaica and the advisory states there is a high risk of crime. Overall, the crime rate for visitors to Jamaica remains very low at 0.01%. ”
The board added: “The island consistently ranks among the top international travel destinations and will welcome 4.1 million tourists in 2023, approximately 3 million of whom will be from the United States. ” he said. Visitors can continue to enjoy all that Jamaica has to offer with confidence. ”
bartlet said travel agency central That the country was experiencing remarkable growth. “Jamaica continues to break records for tourist arrivals with an impressive growth pattern,” Bartlett said. “We are very pleased to continue to be a top destination of choice for travelers not only from our major departure market, the United States, but also from around the world, and to maintain our position as one of the world's leading tourist destinations. Based on historical arrival numbers, we expect to see significant expansion for the 11th consecutive quarter.”
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