Airlift From Canada to Jamaica to be Boosted in November

Kia Karjalainen and her sister were vacationing in Greece when things took an unexpected turn. “We were in our hotel room, and I suddenly said to my sister, ‘It really, really smells of smoke. Is something burning?’”

In what he describes as an “ambitious but achievable” target, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has revealed that he is pushing for 500,000 visitors to Jamaica from Canada by 2025. Minister Bartlett made the disclosure today (September 19) ahead of his departure to the North American country, where he will be joined by senior tourism officials on a five-day ‘winter marketing blitz’ as Jamaica seeks to engage critical travel partners in the Greater Toronto Area.

It appears some people just get to start their vacations earlier than others, like the one dad TikTok is taking to task.  In early September, TikTok user One Tough Mother posted to the platform with a quick snippet of a flight from Las Vegas to Vancouver, Canada, and a tale that had everyone up in arms. «I was seated next to a mom who had a baby in her lap and a toddler beside her. It was a lot,» Kristine Sostar McLellan, the woman behind the account, wrote in a now-viral TikTok video. «I offered to switch seats with the dad, who was a few rows up, so he could be with his family. He says 'Great, thanks' AND SENDS OVER ANOTHER SMALL KID TO SIT WITH THE MOM. He enjoyed a kid-free flight.»

Editor's note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.

Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has revealed that Jamaica’s tourism outlook for the fall season, September to mid-December, is looking very positive in terms of visitor arrivals, with “strong airlift from the United States.”

Two sisters who took a weeklong Caribbean cruise and came back with several kilos of cocaine pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges of importing a controlled substance.

If you’re heading to Brazil in the new year, there’s an extra step to add to your to-do list. Beginning January 10, travelers from the United States, Canada, and Australia will need to acquire an e-visa in order to enter the country. Until then, citizens of these countries will be able to visit Brazil—for business as well as pleasure, per a press release—without these short-term visitor visas (so long as they are staying for no more than 90 days.)

Playa Hotels & Resorts just recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a big event in Cancun.

As of September 1, travelers visiting Jamaica are being required to complete the country's Immigration and Customs Declaration or C5 form ahead of time online or using paper upon arrival.They can do so ahead of their trip for free by visiting EnterJamaica.com. Barcode readers will be available upon arrival at the airport in Jamaica.

Flying across the world just got more affordable thanks to an Air New Zealand sale that has flights from the United States to Auckland and beyond starting at less than $1,000.

The Honorable Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism for Jamaica has launched his new book, “Thought Leadership on Tourism, Resilience, and Sustainability in the 21st Century.” 

As Jamaica seeks to unlock the vast potential of the Latin American (LATAM) visitor market, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has emphasised the importance of multi-destination tourism and ‘co-petition’ to this initiative. Minister Bartlett highlighted the issue during his address at the ‘Keys to LATAM’ Conference, organised by the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) and Adtelligent Limited. The conference, held earlier today (September 7) at the Spanish Court Hotel, brought together industry professionals to explore business opportunities in the lucrative Latin American (LATAM) market.