Jamaica and the Bahamas have announced a new partnership geared towards increasing air travel to both countries and the region as well as improving the overall tourism industry.

The partnership aims to have a common visa regime and clearance arrangements that will allow visitors to the Bahamas and other destinations to market together and bring more airlines into the region.

Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism for Jamaica, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation for the Bahamas, Chester Cooper, met at the annual Caribbean Week celebrations organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) where they discussed the topic.

“Jamaica and the Bahamas have entered into a new era of collaboration in consonance with the new tourism view of competition as the way forward, as opposed to competition,” said Bartlett.

Jamaica is currently advocating for regional cooperation in the tourism industry, with plans to market the entire region as one destination in which travelers have the option of experiencing two or more destinations on their travels.

“We’re looking at how we can collaborate in the area of air connectivity to begin with. We’re looking at how we can advance the hub and spoke principle and to bring more visitors into our space,” Bartlett said concerning the alliance with the Bahamas.

Additionally, discussions are taking place surrounding a satellite resilience center in the Bahamas.

The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), founded by Minister Bartlett, has centers established in Jordan, Kenya, and Canada.

The Tourism Minister is also discussing multi-destination arrangements with Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, the Cayman Islands, and Panama.