Earnings will be about $100 million below best earnings in 2019 of $3.7 billion

Jamaica’s tourism sector has almost fully recovered from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which had threatened the very survival of the industry.

That’s the word from Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, during a meeting with members of a special delegation from the Republic of Namibia, led by the its Minister in the Presidency, Christine Hoebes. Bartlett highlighted that Jamaica’s main source markets are also rebounding strongly from the pandemic.

According to the tourism minister, “the good news is that Jamaica has now recovered 90 percent from the COVID-19 pandemic in the tourism sector… our recovery in terms of arrivals this year is likely to be well over 3 million, and we are also expecting our earnings will be just about $100 million, or so, below our best earnings in 2019 of $3.7 billion”.

In giving a breakdown of Jamaica’s tourism source markets, Bartlett noted that the United Kingdom is the only market where ‘we are pacing ahead of 2019’ figures, noting that compared to pre-COVID numbers “we are six percent ahead in the UK market”.

Bartlett added that “the US has come back very strongly nothing that while Canada is lagging behind a little, progress is being made”.

Jamaica giving help to Namibia

The tourism minister indicated that, based on Jamaica’s tourism recovery, “we can give some help and support in terms of Namibia’s own recovery programme”.

The discussions with the Namibian delegation followed an meeting with a Jamaica/ Namibia Joint Committee earlier this week, where agreements were signed in several areas including tourism, logistics, urban development, and Diaspora cooperation.

Bartlett outlined that, under the memorandum of understanding (MOU), signed with Namibia, both countries committed to collaborate in areas such as tourism marketing, human capital development, sustainability and resilience building.

He stated that this collaboration will entail working with officials in Namibia to facilitate the establishment of a satellite centre of the Jamaica based, Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) in the coming months.

In response, Hoebes said she is happy for, and looking forward to, the collaboration with Jamaica on all fronts, especially that of tourism and human capital development.

She emphasised that this MOU “will strengthen the collaboration between the two countries” adding that “the agreement will put Namibia in a better place” regarding cruise tourism, especially from the port in Montego Bay, Jamaica to the port in Walvis Bay, Namibia.

She declared that Namibia is also looking forward to emulating that which “attracts tourists to Jamaica and keep them coming back”.