Opposition Spokesperson on Tourism, Senator Janice Allen, is demanding urgent attention for the local tourism sector following reports of a surge in bookings to the island due to a recent US travel advisory.

Early this year, the US Department of State issued a level 3 travel advisory urging visitors to reconsider coming to Jamaica due to crime and a lack of medical services.

Allen, in a statement on Monday (May 13), says stakeholders in the tourism sector have reported a surge in booking cancellations due to the travel advisory.

“In my discussions with operators across the spectrum of the industry, it seems Minister Bartlett is the only person who has not noticed a decline in arrivals when compared to 2023,” Allen said.

Allen said arrival numbers for April 2024 at the Norman Manley and Sangster International revealed a notable decline compared to the previous year.

“Sangster International Airport saw a 4.2 per cent decline, or 19,000 fewer arrivals, while Norman Manley International Airport experienced a 7.6 per cent decline, or 11,200 fewer arrivals, in April 2023,” she said.

“Frontier Airlines and American Airlines have scaled back their operations, and other major carriers like United and JetBlue have reported decreased load factors due to the advisory,” she added.

Allen, in emphasising the urgent need for government intervention to mitigate the crisis, said the government needs to wake up to the reality of what’s happening in the industry and take whatever action is necessary to stop the bleeding.

“A crucial development such as this requires the calling of all the stakeholders to the table to immediately work through a solution,” Allen urged.