MONTEGO BAY — Jamaica’s tourism sector has reported an “unprecedented start” to 2019, with record-breaking arrival figures and earnings.
In just nine weeks since the beginning of 2019, the country has become the first Caribbean destination to welcome one million visitors during the period. As such, it has generated foreign exchange earnings of approximately US$800 million.
On reaching this milestone, Donovan White, Jamaica’s Director of Tourism, said: “Jamaica continues to make an aggressive push in transforming the way we market the destination and we have been seeing the dividends. While the March numbers are still preliminary, we are pleased to have achieved this milestone so early in 2019. A big thanks to our various travel partners who have been selling Jamaica and helping us sustain this positive growth.”
In addition to record numbers, Jamaica has also been recognized with several accolades this year, including a #14 ranking on the Best Destinations of the World list, and #1 Best Destination in the Caribbean at the 2019 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards. Plus, at the Caribbean & North America edition of the World Travel Awards, the destination took home a total of 24 awards including Leading Caribbean Destination, Leading Caribbean Cruise Destination, and for the 13th straight year, the Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board.
