Jamaica tourism is on the rise, and everyone can get a piece of the pie

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“Welcome back to Toronto Mr White and thank you for taking some time to speak with the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper.”

I was on a Zoom call with Donovan White Jamaica’s Director of Tourism. Mr White, along with Angella Bennett (Regional Director, Jamaica Tourist Board Canada) and other members of the JTB team were hosting a trade event last at Cirillo’s Academy in Toronto.

“I can only imagine how many times you have answered some of the questions I am going to ask.” “Well yes,” Mr White replied jokingly. “This is part of my job after all.”

“So let’s jump right into it; what exciting new developments do travellers have to look forward to when visiting Jamaica this year,” I questioned?

“As you know Simone, the pandemic hit Jamaica very hard; it hit the entire tourism industry hard, but our recovery has gone considerably well. We are thankful, and elated that we have achieved some of the milestones we have hit.

Jamaica had 3.4 million visitors last year, and that is exciting news, because we overdid our destination numbers. Our numbers from Canada were phenomenal; 256,000 visitors from Canada, and from January 2023 to March 2023 we had 177,000 visitors from Canada to Jamaica.”

Jamaica is projected to have 120,000 visitors for the summer months, and this has the Caribbean island sitting pretty with an estimated 290,000 visitors from this market by the end of August. That represents 15% market share from Canada for Jamaica. With stats like that, Donovan White couldn’t be happier.

“The numbers are extremely good,” Mr White said proudly. “It is clear that the Canadian market has responded to the efforts of our team. The tourism team led by Angella Bennet has done a fantastic job. The strong numbers from the Canadian market show good adaptability as Canadians went from not travelling to suddenly, wonderfully, travelling. It shows that demand for Jamaica has always been there, and that we are definitely on the come up.”

In 2017, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, launched Jamaica’s ‘5 by 5 by 5’ program, targeting five million visitors and US$5 billion in revenues in five years. The end date for those goals, in the wake of the pandemic, has been reset to 2024 and “We’re well on our way,” said Mr White shared. “In the next three to five years, Jamaica will also add 15,000+ new rooms to its hotel and resort offering.

Ocean Eden Bay, sister property to Ocean Coral Springs, opened during the pandemic. Meanwhile there have been ground-breaking for both the new Princess Hotels & Resorts property in Negril, with the first phase expected to open in February 2024. The Prince Hotel is in construction with 2,000 rooms being prepared for visitors in Hanover.

Meanwhile RIU is working on its new RIU Aquarelle resort in Trelawney, with a projected 700 rooms opening in April 2024. The Hardrock Group (Unico Hotel Brand) are working on an 1800 room resort in Montego, prepping for late 2024, and Sandals reclaimed Dons River as part of their portfolio. They have this new swanky hotel that is sure to draw the elite of the elite.

There are also Secrets in Saint Anne, and Charisma in Saint Anne’s that are all on dock for 2024,” Mr. White discloses. “There is just so much happening, and we are anticipating a large influx of visitors in the next few years.”

“How about tourist attractions? Jamaica is known for their variety, I am curious as to how tourist attractions have evolved.”

“Well,” Mr White explains, “Tour companies numbers are increasing. There is active participation in the community. One thing that I want people to know about Jamaica is that it is not just an all-inclusive enclave. Jamaica is evolving and maturing. The island is doing very well, and this is attracting investors who see Jamaica as a commodity.”

Times have changed, and there are some people who go on vacation who prefer to call themselves travellers. These are people who want to fully experience every new location they visit. This means leaving all the luxurious amenities of their hotel, or the cool rustic comfort of their bohemian getaway to explore all Jamaica has to offer, and that’s quite a list.

There is no need to head to the hills for that homey feeling; now visitors can head to the smaller communities and former fishing villages along the coast and wake up to views of the multi-hued Caribbean Sea before they head out for a stroll along the main road.

Trips up the Blue Mountain have become a popular attraction, Kingston has surged with the addition of: Kingston Creative, The Rock Hotel, and The Water Lane Development (art district). In places like Drapers in the area by Port Antonio you can head to the local ice cream spot to hob knob, or drive right into town where everyone hangs out in the streets and you can possibly catch a good game of dominos, or dance the night away.

Central Ocho Rios is noisy and extremely pedestrian friendly where you can rub shoulders, feel the heartbeat of the day-to-day life of the town, and still retire to all the comforts of your hotel at the end of the day.

What I really appreciated was this push to encourage entrepreneurship, utilizing tourism as the foundation.

“What we want is producers of fruits and vegetables to see the business opportunities that come from people visiting the island. We want entrepreneurs to see tourism as a way to expand their business. We are actively finding ways to enable business people in Jamaica to be involved in the tourism industry. There is an even stronger focus on buying local. Tourists are giving back to Jamaican locals, and this is amazing for our economy,” Mr White tells me enthusiastically.

It is not a surprise to me at all that Jamaica continues to be one of the world’s top destination choices. It is amazing that the tourism industry now taps into the creativity of the island, and is providing an opportunity for everyone to get a piece of the pie.