The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) has announced its participation during the 2022 edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in a bid to develop and deepen trade relationships within the Middle East’s travel industry.
During the event, visitors to the JTB stand will discover Jamaica’s world-class hotels, rejuvenating spa and wellness offerings, soft adventure activities, as well as gain familiarity with industry updates following Jamaica’s positive participation during Expo 2020.
Jamaica has been one of the best-known resort vacation destinations in the world for decades. Originally known for its stunning physical beauty and as a playground for the rich and famous, the island has since seen its tourism industry experience significant growth and diversification. Jamaica currently boasts one of the most diverse visitor accommodation sectors in the Caribbean, including world-famous all-inclusive resorts, upscale hotels and villas, and a range of distinctive tourist accommodations and attractions.
During the travel trade show, travel trade professionals will be able to explore leisure travel opportunities and learn more about the destination’s hotels, cruises and restaurants, as well as business incentives in the MICE space, in addition to investment opportunities.
Tourism is widely considered to be a key driver of the Jamaican economy. The sector plays a strong role in generating taxes, employment, income and foreign exchange inflows. Given its linkages with other production sectors, it impacts a wide cross-section of the economy.
Vision 2030 Jamaica will realize the vision of an inclusive, world-class, distinctly Jamaican tourism industry that is a major contributor to socio-economic and cultural development, with a well-educated, highly skilled and motivated workforce at all levels within a safe, secure and sustainably managed environment. The Tourism Sector Plan will: widen the participation in the tourism industry by local stakeholders; improve training and working conditions at all levels; promote investment and economic linkages; diversify our tourism product, source markets and market segments; improve standards and levels of customer service; increase the value earned and retained from each tourist; increase the use of Jamaican inputs and culture in all areas of the industry; and strengthen the integration of tourism m development with sustainable land use planning and environmental management.
Donovan White, Director of Tourism, Jamaica Tourist Board commented: “We are excited to engage with travel and tourism professionals from the region as we look forward to welcoming travellers from the MENA region to explore “The Heartbeat of the World”. Tourism is such a key part of Jamaica’s DNA and we are excited to share how the island’s hospitality is evolving and how deeply connected we are to the Middle East.”
Following its successful participation during Expo 2020 whereby the destination welcomed more than 250,000 visitors to the Jamaica Pavilion, the Jamaica Tourist Board will highlight ongoing positive discussions with Emirates Airlines to enhance connectivity with the Middle East, as well as meet new and existing trade partners as the island moves to capitalise on its popularity as an emerging holiday destination for travellers from the region.
Accommodation
The Jamaican accommodation sub-sector is made up of hotels, resort cottages/villas, guesthouses, and apartments. The Hotel Incentives Act and the Resort Cottages Incentives Act enable tax incentives to be provided to properties to encourage improvement and development. The sector currently provides over 30,000+ rooms. The accommodation sub-sector is largely Jamaican owned, but a notable trend in recent years is the construction of large hotels by Spanish hotel chains.
All-inclusive and large hotels represent the main type of accommodation, accounting for most of the room capacity as well as the bulk of stop-over visitors and enjoying a very strong position in the market. This has been linked to market trends as well as perceptions about security. Large European Plan or “EP” hotels are less prevalent, and there are over 6,000 rooms in small hotels (under 50 rooms) and guest houses registered. There is a noteworthy absence of large convention hotels, a factor that has prompted the Government to commit to building a convention centre in Montego Bay.
The island’s tourism industry is centred around six defined resort destination areas: Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Negril, Kingston, the South Coast and Port Antonio. The performance of the visitor accommodation sector has been uneven, with large hotels showing significantly higher rates of room occupancy particularly among the all-inclusive category.
Food and Beverage
Food and beverage facilities, whether incorporated within tourism accommodations or “stand alone”, are vital components to the tourist economy. The restaurant sub-sector has shown growth in recent years, driven by increased tourist expenditure, promotion, and the overall allure of local cuisine, as well as the strong
business of the restaurants outside of the tourism industry. Attractions: The attractions sub-sector of the tourism sector is a growing area which adds to the variety of Jamaica as a tourist destination and the overall tourism product.
Attractions include natural or man-made horticultural, cultural, historical, equestrian, aquatic, aerial, eco-tourism, recreational and environmental facilities for tourists. The existing attractions are diverse in nature and include: water parks; water based activities; adventure and nature based activities; one national park (Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park); three marine parks (Montego Bay, Negril and Ocho Rios); museums; animal parks; heritage sites; the Hope Zoo; mountain ranges; and hiking among others. Enterprises within this sector are usually organized as registered companies, which are monitored by TPDCo. There are also informal and community-based attractions.
Cruise Tourism
Cruise tourism has steadily increased its share of total visitor arrivals over the years, and now accounts for approximately 40% of the total arrivals. Almost an average of 1.5 million cruise passengers visit Jamaica every year. The industry is served by all the major cruise companies, of which the largest are Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited and Carnival Corporation. Key players in the cruise shipping industry are the cruise lines, Ministry of Tourism, the Jamaica Tourist Board, The Port Authority of Jamaica, in-bond associations, the Association of Jamaica Attractions Limited (AJAL), and ground transport agencies. The port of Ocho Rios continues to receive the largest share of the country’s cruise arrivals, followed by the ports of Montego Bay, and Port Antonio.
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