Minister of Tourism  Edmund Bartlett has welcomed the continued record-breaking growth in visitor arrivals from Latin America in 2025, which is being driven by expansion in air seat capacity across the region.

The results reflect deepening demand from six primary source markets—Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru—and a robust airline network that continues to grow into 2026.

Jamaica recorded its strongest-ever performance from Latin American markets last year, with total visitor arrivals from the region growing by more than 62,000 passengers compared to the prior year. Peru, Argentina, and Chile each posted particularly notable gains, reflecting growing awareness of Jamaica as a premier Caribbean destination among South American travellers.

“These results are more meaningful than numbers. They reflect the strategic marketing efforts we have employed to deepen partnerships and confidence in the destination. We have been deliberate in tapping into this extremely lucrative market, which will help with diversification and increased arrivals and earnings overall,” said Bartlett.

The results build on a broader regional upswing. Latin America and the Caribbean recorded total air traffic of 477.3 million passengers in 2025 — a 3.8 per cent year-over-year rise — with most of that growth originating from within the region itself. Jamaica is positioned to capitalise on this momentum through strategic airlift and trade partnerships.

“Latin America has surpassed our expectations and is an extremely positive sign of affinity for brand Jamaica. Our island continues to punch above its weight as global interest in our culture and authentic experiences remains at a high,” said Director of Tourism, Donovan White.

Over the last three years, Jamaica has recorded an 88 per cent increase in arrivals – 31,152 in 2023, 35,252 in 2024 and a whopping 58, 797 last year. Earnings from this market have also increased by 108 per cent from over US$55 million in 2023 to US$116 million last year.

Current scheduled service connecting Latin America to Jamaica includes Copa Airlines operating from Panama City to both Kingston and Montego Bay — with combined weekly frequencies among the highest in the region — alongside LATAM Airlines from Lima and Wingo from Bogotá. All routes are performing at or above target load factors, underscoring the strength of existing demand.

“Our team has been pulling out all the stops to build on this great momentum. We know the value of this market and are determined to leverage more for Jamaica,” said deputy tourism director Philip Rose.

Panama continues to serve as a critical aviation hub, with Copa Airlines providing seamless onward connections that effectively extend Jamaica’s reach across the entire Latin American region.

Projections for 2026 and 2027 are also looking extremely strong with 100,000 and 175, 000 arrivals expected respectively. These growing numbers translate to earnings of over US$500 million.

The minister is leading a small delegation to Colombia and Panama to discuss opportunities to add more cities to Jamaica’s itinerary, which will increase seat capacity and strengthen trade and consumer partnerships within the region.