Jamaica Seeks to Extend 2023 Visitor Surge

Image: Hotel developers “were still interested in Jamaica,” even at the height of the pandemic, said Edmund Bartlett, tourism minister. (Photo by Brian Major)

by Brian Major
Last updated: 4:25 PM ET, Thu September 21, 2023

Jamaica is working to parlay its explosive post-pandemic visitor growth into future tourism success through an expansion of its tourism infrastructure, said government and tourism officials.

At the same time, Jamaican officials are continuing expansion projects at each of its three international airports while also planning for the introduction of thousands of new hotel rooms over the next decade.

Speaking at this past week's Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) conference in Montego Bay, White called 2023 a “fantastic” year for Jamaican tourism.

“Visitors are staying slightly longer in the destination, and they’re also spending more,” White said. “Visitor spending is up to around $183 per night, per visitor to the destination. For 2023, our forecast is 3.88 million visitors, with an estimated spend of $4.2 billion in the destination.”

The 2023 visitor totals are evidence of Jamaica’s measured approach to resuming travel following the pandemic and its strong appeal with travelers, said Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s tourism minister.

“We were at zero in terms of economic activity,” following the outbreak, said Bartlett. “We have moved from there to today, where visitors are at 5 percent over 2019, which was our best year in terms of visitor arrivals.”

Jamaica’s government is implementing a series of initiatives to extend its tourism growth, including transportation improvements.

“We are seeking to improve our road infrastructure and expand our highway network to facilitate [visitors'] ability to move about the island,” White said.

“We are about ready to open the expansion of the highways from May Pen in the central part of the island to Mandeville, which then opens up the south coast,” he said.

Additionally, “there is a project to have a bypass for downtown Montego Bay to make it easier to traverse into Montego Bay by building highways around the major population centers in the Hip Strip area,” said White.

Airport Expansion

Meanwhile, work continues on an earlier announced $160 million expansion of Sangster International Airport. Following the completed renovation of the departure lounge, the expansion’s next phase will address the arrivals area, where the outdated airport has struggled during the recent travel boom.

“It has been a bit of a pain for us, not mincing words,” said White. “But we are committed to improving and changing the experience of every arriving passenger, from plane side to curb side.”

Recent airport efficiency upgrades include new digital immigration and customs forms, which travelers are encouraged to complete prior to arrival. “That’s just one of the steps we have to take to refine the process to make it seamless,” White said.

Expansion and improvement projects are also underway at Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport and Ian Fleming International Airport in the Boscobel district.

White said the latter project will “improve access to the Ocho Rios and Portland parts of the destination” and boutique luxury resorts located in the surrounding St. Mary parish.

Jamaica’s fall airline capacity will total more than 890,000 seats, according to Jamaica Ministry of Tourism data, a 19 percent increase over the same period in 2022 and an 18 percent increase over pre-pandemic 2019.

White said expanded flight schedules from American Airlines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines are primarily responsible for the increase.

Jamaica will add new airline deployment in the last months of 2023, with new Southwest flights departing from Kansas City beginning in November and new United service from Denver.

Hideaway at Royalton Blue Waters Jamaica

Room Boom

Jamaica is also in the midst of a significant hotel development wave. Even at the pandemic’s apex, investors “were still interested in Jamaica,” said Bartlett.

“So we are now on track to build 20,000 new rooms in Jamaica over the next 10 to 15 years. In 2024, we'll bring in excess of 2,000 new hotel rooms to Jamaica.”

Slated for completion this November is the 352-room Hideaway at Royalton Blue Waters. The first 1,000 rooms of the 2,000-room Princess Hamilton in Hanover will arrive in February 2024,” Bartlett said.

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