Jamaica’s tourism earnings to exceed US$4 billion this year
/ Our Today
administrator
Jamaican Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has indicated that the destination should exceed US$4 billion in tourism receipts this year, exceeding pre-COVID-19 levels.
Speaking at a recent Think Tank at the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) head office in Kingston, Bartlett admitted that Jamaica’s tourism earnings are expected to be “significantly higher” this year, saying visitor arrivals, including from cruises, are projected to be above three million, which is similar to 2019 figures.
According to the tourism minister, “we are looking now at earning in excess of US$4 billion this year, which would exceed 2019 figures by US$500 million to US$600 million. So, all in all, tourism is looking good.”
Continuing, he said, “we are making sure that the industry is playing its key growth role in the wider gross domestic product (GDP) growth arrangement.” He acknowledged that priority is also being placed on ensuring that the sector is more inclusive, and provides for the well-being of Jamaica as a whole.
Visitors staying longer
Director of Tourism, Donovan White, who also addressed the session, highlighted noted that visitors are staying longer in the destination, being more immersive, and spending more.
He pointed to 2019, when the average length of stay would have been somewhere around 6.9 nights but “in 2022, we are just over eight nights per visitor.”
He explained that the average daily rate in 2019 was approximately US$168 per person, per day while in 2022, the rate is US$180 per person, per day. White made the point that during the extended stay, visitors are going to more restaurants, bars, parties and events and are buying more crafts and taking more tours.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Tourism will observe Tourism Awareness Week from September 25 to October 1, under the theme: ‘Rethinking Tourism’. A series of activities have been organised to include a church service, the virtual Edmund Bartlett lecture, runway, visionary symposium, and youth forum among other engagements.
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