Jamaica’s visitor industry is in the midst of a recovery, but the destination’s tourism officials don’t expect visitor arrivals and spending totals to return to pre-COVID-19 levels before 2023.
"We believe we have a very strong rebound in progress, and the future definitely looks bright,” said Donovan White, director of tourism for the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), during a Nov. 10 press conference in Ocho Rios.
White said Jamaica is on track to welcome 1.5 million visitors and generate about $1.9 billion in tourism revenue this year, totals that are up dramatically from 2020, but still fall short of 2019’s peak performance levels.
"We expect, at the end of 2023, to be somewhere in the region of about 4.1 million visitors – split between 2.5 million [air] stopovers and 1.6 million cruise [arrivals] with a revenue upturn for the destination of about $4.2 billion in earnings,” White said. “If I cast your mind back to 2019, we did 4.2 million visitors and $3.7 billion in earnings.”
U.S. Air Carriers Ramp Up Airlift to Jamaica
Much of the optimism stems from Jamaica’s already impressive resurgence in airlift this year and, according to White, the destination expects total air seats on nonstop flights from the U.S. to jump 30% next year when compared with 2019’s totals.
“Southwest Airlines has said flights to Jamaica will be at pre-pandemic levels for the winter,” White said. “And Frontier Airlines will open — or they have already opened — new routes to Montego Bay from Miami, Atlanta and Orlando.”
Southwest Airlines has said flights to Jamaica will be at pre-pandemic levels for the winter.
American Airlines, meanwhile, launched new nonstop, three-times-weekly service between Philadelphia and Kingston on Nov. 4. The carrier also flies daily nonstops between Philadelphia and Montego Bay, and recently upgauged to wide-bodied Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft on that route, as well as on its flights to Jamaica from Dallas/Fort Worth and Miami.
White said the destination has also seen the average length of a visitor’s stay increase from just over seven days (when Jamaica reopened in June 2020) to an average of eight total days through the end of October this year. Visitor spending has also increased from $169 per day to $180 over that time period.
Total cruise arrivals for 2021, however, have been much more lackluster, with just over 26,000 passengers visiting Jamaica between the Aug. 16 cruising restart this year and the end of October. Royal Caribbean will return to the island this month with stops scheduled at Falmouth, according to White, who said British cruise line Marella Cruises will begin homeporting vessels in Montego Bay in January of next year.
Donovan White, director of tourism for Jamaica Tourist Bureau, provided a visitor industry update at a Nov. 10 press conference in Ocho Rios.
Credit: 2021 Shane Nelson“Carnival [Cruise Line] has committed to more than 110 cruise portings between November [2021] and April [2022],” White said. “That's a massive number, but it's a commitment they have made with the destination, and we thank them.”
Current Jamaica Travel Restrictions: COVID-19 Tests and Authorization Form
Clifton Reader, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), said during the Nov. 10 press conference that Jamaica’s hotels and resorts are currently operating at about 65% occupancy.
"At this point, I’m proud to say that with these occupancy levels, we have taken back over 80% of our workers in the hotel sector, and 60% in the attraction sector,” Reader said.
The JHTA president also reported that 62% of the destination’s hotel workers have now been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
“A month ago, it was about 55%,” Reader said. “And we are now seeing 59% in the main attractions, and this is driven by the fact that cruise ship business is coming back, and they have certain demands.”
Vacationers flying into Jamaica must currently provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 72 hours prior to their departure. The destination accepts both antigen and PCR test results and requires visitors to complete an online Travel Authorization form.
JTB’s White said he’s not sure when Jamaica might allow fully vaccinated travelers to visit without providing proof of a negative COVID-19 test.
We’re still in a pandemic, and so I’m not able to say to you this will change in 30 days, 60 days, 90 days or if ever, because I don’t know.
“Those requirements are set by our Ministry of Health and Wellness,” White said. “Whether or not that will change, I cannot say because I don’t know. But we are certainly hopeful there will be an understanding of what the benchmarks are around the world. … We’re still in a pandemic, and so I’m not able to say to you this will change in 30 days, 60 days, 90 days or if ever, because I don’t know. And that is – I’m sure – purely dependent upon what our scientists and epidemiologists believe are the best precautionary measures.”
Jamaica Travel Requirements Affect Demand, But Travel Experience Remains Strong
Travel advisor Jill Dowdy, a longtime seller of Jamaica who owns Philadelphia-based Jill Dowdy Travel, said the destination’s pretest requirement has dampened demand among her clientele.
"The fact Jamaica is requiring the COVID-19 tests does turn off some people,” Dowdy said, “They would rather not test, and Punta Cana [in the Dominican Republic] and Mexico are not requiring tests.”
Dowdy said 2021 has been one of her best sales years ever, in part because so many of her clients “are just so ready to go somewhere.” She added that her business to Mexico and the Dominican Republic has been especially strong.
I always feel at home right away, and you can tell they’re just so happy to be back working, and they’re so appreciative of the visitors who are traveling there again.
Dowdy took part in a JTB advisor fam trip earlier this month, however, and she said the ease of her recent experience with Jamaica’s COVID-19 pretest requirement will change the way she sells the destination.
"It was no big deal to take that test to get there,” said Dowdy, who has visited Jamaica several times before. “And I feel like now that I’ve done it myself, and I’ve been there during COVID-19, and I know the different protocols they have, I will definitely be pushing it more than I was previously.”
Dowdy was also quick to mention that one of Jamaica’s unique advantages is still just as appealing as ever.
"When you land in Jamaica, you just feel the vibe right away,” she said. “The people are really just the friendliest people anywhere … I always feel at home right away, and you can tell they’re just so happy to be back working, and they’re so appreciative of the visitors who are traveling there again.”
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Jamaica Tourist Bureau
