Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett has declared a new target for tourist arrivals from the United Kingdom.

The tourism minister has declared the target for the region is at 250,000 visitors from the UK and Ireland.

Speaking at an exclusive media event held at the Jamaica Stand at the World Travel Market yesterday in London, Bartlett pointed out that last year, Jamaica was the number one destination in the Caribbean for British visitors, and that he fully expects us to retain that title.

Bartlett said: “Jamaica welcomed 229,000 UK visitors last year, making it the number one destination in the Caribbean for British visitors and we plan to aggressively build on this number. With additional airlift with the upcoming Norse flight next month, along with our other long-standing airline partners, I am confident we will be able to meet this target.”

The new Norse flight from Montego Bay is scheduled to begin in December, operating four times a week from London Gatwick.

The island is already easily accessible from the United Kingdom through daily nonstop flights provided by Virgin Atlantic Airways, departing from London Heathrow; British Airways, departing from London Gatwick; and TUI, departing from Birmingham, Gatwick, and Manchester.

Director of Tourism Donovan White noted that the United Kingdom has always been a significant market in Jamaica’s growth strategy, and he is hoping to capitalise on this achievement of being the most visited destination in the region.

Also present at the event was Elizabeth Fox, regional director, UK and Nordics, Jamaica Tourist Board. Fox stated: “We are truly grateful to be number one in the Caribbean for British travellers and it is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team. With this new target, it means pushing even more to achieve this goal and retain the number one spot.”

Jamaica is already experiencing impressive growth in our arrivals and is on target to reaching the goals set by the tourism minister earlier in the year.

In the first half of 2023, Jamaica witnessed a significant increase in arrivals from the UK, with a remarkable 69.2 per cent surge in overall tourist arrivals compared to 2021. This growth has resulted in record-breaking earnings exceeding US$2 billion.

Jamaica is poised to welcome over three million visitors which, if reached, is projected to rake in a whopping US$4.2 billion in foreign exchange.