Strong Air Connectivity Fuels Tourism Boom for Jamaica - Minister Bartlett

If you're the sort of music fan who is happier watching the Coachella livestream on your couch than navigating the crowds, then you may be wondering how to enjoy the magic of live music without quite so many people.

Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett last night welcomed more than 700 Kiwanis club members from the Eastern Canada and the Caribbean District for their annual convention at the Montego Bay Convention Centre. The 2024 Kiwanis Eastern Canada and Caribbean (EC&C) District Convention is being held from May 16-18, 2024. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister Bartlett described the event as “this very important convention that is setting the stage for discourses in various areas of human development, with a particular emphasis on children.” Kiwanis is a global organization in over 80 countries with more than half a million members dedicated to improving the world one child, one community at a time, through its mantra “Serving the Children of the World.” Against this background, Minister Bartlett in his keynote address, said: “There are some little ones that are coming up in whose hands the future of the world rests, and in whose lives the prosperity of planet Earth is going to be predicated.” He anticipated that the discourse at the convention would be heavily focused around service and adding value to service, targeting the planet, people and prosperity.

United Airlines has premiered its new pre-flight safety video. The company says it has been designed “to capture and keep the attention of even the most frequent travelers.”

With things looking up for tourism in The Bahamas, representatives of the country’s Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (BMOTIA) are set to build on their success at the 42nd edition of Caribbean Travel Marketplace. Hosted by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) and scheduled for 20 - 23 May 2024 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in Jamaica, the Caribbean’s largest tourism marketing event will offer opportunity for The Bahamas to shine as buyers and sellers of tourism products and services from countries across the region convening for business. In 2023, The Bahamas saw record-breaking tourism growth accounting for 9.6 million visitors, up 38% from 2022. While foreign air arrivals rose 17% to record 1.7 million in 2023, cruise arrivals surged 43.5% to record 7.9 million. The country’s 16 islands all enjoyed significant increases, with visits to New Providence, for instance, up 36% in 2023, to Grand Bahama up 44%, and the Out Islands up 40%.

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) aims to reimagine the region’s tourism landscape at the third annual Caribbean Travel Forum, taking place Monday, May 20 in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Kicking off this year’s Caribbean Travel Marketplace, the annual event brings together leading regional and international thought leaders to discuss tourism business opportunities and strategies for success in the Caribbean, the heart of the global travel industry.

Southwest Airlines recently announced the launch of its new Orlando – Nassau route. Daily nonstop flights will connect Central Florida’s metropolitan hub with The Bahamas’ capital city at the height of the summer months. The Orlando – Nassau flights will operate from 4 June to 4 August, with departures from Orlando and arrivals in Nassau. “The expansion of Southwest Airlines’ Central Florida route map to include a new daily service to Nassau is another testimony to the government’s efforts and commitment to grow air stopover arrivals throughout our 16-islands destination aggressively,” says the Honourable I. Chester Cooper, Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments, and Aviation.

Following fruitful discussions with Senior Executives of Emirates Airline, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett says plans are underway to include Jamaica as one of the hubs for the airline in the Caribbean. Emirates Airline, based in Dubai, is one of the world’s fastest growing airlines that connects its customers to a network of over 150 destinations.

Porter is a Canadian-owned budget airline based out of Billy Bishop Toronto Airport and Toronto Pearson International Airport. Launched in 2006, Porter operates flights connecting cities across Canada and the larger North American continent and select overseas and tropical destinations.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has expressed his excitement about the recent developments within the Jamaican tourism industry as Catalonia Hotels & Resorts yesterday (May 7) announced its purchase of the Holiday Inn Resort, Montego Bay from East Bay Management Company Limited, led by prominent Jamaican businessman Kevin Hendrickson. Minister Bartlett celebrated the move by Catalonia, a respected international hospitality brand, as a strong signal of confidence in Jamaica’s tourism sector and a potential trigger for further investments.

Jamaica has recorded an impressive 1.7 million visitors as of May 7 of this year. Based on preliminary data, the island recorded 1,016,185 stopover arrivals and over 700,000 cruise passengers, earning roughly US$1.8 billion in revenue. This represents a 4.6% increase in stopover arrivals and a 23% increase in cruise passengers compared to the same period in 2023.

Investment in Jamaica’s tourism industry has soared to new heights with existing hotel companies expanding their stake while new investors are in line to build new properties.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett departed the island today for Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), to participate in the highly anticipated Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024 trade show.