By Al Edwards

Jamaica’s tourism product did well post-COVID, but visitor arrivals are now declining, and this is not attributable to just a travel advisory put out by the United States government to its citizens looking to visit Jamaica.

Speaking at an Economic Programme Oversight Committee (EPOC) press briefing, chair Keith Duncan said: “For the June 2024 quarter, Jamaica welcomed 700,059 tourists, reflecting an annual decline of 0.8 percent relative to growth of 11 per cent for the June 2023 quarter. Preliminary data indicated that, for the month of July 2024, a total of 245,860 tourists visited Jamaica, a decline of 10 per cent relative to July 2023. The US Travel Advisory issued on January 30, 2024 may have impacted visitor arrivals.”

Many of the major airlines that fly into Jamaica have reduced their flights, factoring in the US travel advisory. Also, other Caribbean destinations have become increasingly competitive, with Barbados seeing a big bounce in arrivals. 

What is causing the decline in Jamaica?

Duncan relied: “I can only speculate here, but you have upcoming US presidential elections. The US is our source market, where over 70 per cent of our arrivals come from. Then it has to be said that the post-COVID bounce is over. During that post-COVID period, what we probably saw was pent-up demand, but now you see traveling normalizing now. Many people would have missed their vacation for three years and took the opportunity as soon as they were able to. What you see now is steadying off right below the COVID levels.

“Let’s not forget that the US economy was impacted by a tight monetary policy and rising inflation, which has hurt the consumer. That had its own consequences, which perhaps weighed on visitor arrivals to Jamaica.”

Jamaica tends to do well over the winter season, which begins in December, and will be looking to see increased arrivals there making up the shortfall this year.