ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – JAMAICA continues to dominate regional tourism, posting record-breaking visitor arrivals and revenue, and setting ambitious new targets as it looks to cement its place as the Caribbean’s premier destination.
Speaking at the 43rd Caribbean Travel Marketplace, Deputy Director of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) Philip Rose revealed that the island welcomed 2.9 million stayover visitors and 1.2 million cruise passengers in 2023. Those figures are expected to climb in 2025 to 3.1 million stayovers and 1.4 million cruise arrivals.
Rose confirmed that Jamaica is now aiming to surpass even those projections, targeting 3.4 million stayovers and 1.6 million cruise passengers in the coming year—an ambitious goal set by Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett.
"...at the end of the day, visitor arrivals really doesn't mean much unless we were able to generate the revenue to subsequently serve the people of Jamaica," Rose said. "And so last year we closed out at US $4.3 billion, and this year we're looking to generate US$4.620 billion.” They are now targeting reaching the US$5 billion dollar for the country.
To support growing demand, Jamaica is investing heavily in its tourism infrastructure and capacity. Over 4,000 new hotel rooms are expected to come online by the end of 2024, through both renovations and new developments. Looking ahead, an additional 20,000 rooms are planned over the next 5 to 10 years, representing more than US$5 billion in investment.
Air connectivity is also expanding, with increased airlift from Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and North America.
"While we celebrate 'heads in the beds and bums in seats', at the core of what we do…tourism must benefit our people," Rose said
Major infrastructure projects are underway to improve accessibility and traffic flow, particularly in key tourism areas. A 15-kilometre perimeter road is under construction to ease congestion in Montego Bay, significantly reducing travel time to Negril. Additionally, a new four-lane north coast highway with underpasses is expected to be completed by May 2026.
"We're all about seamless integration. We're all about making the customers and our visitors and our locals feel comfortable and happy. And so we're making the investments to facilitate just that.
Jamaica, renowned for its music, cuisine, athletics, and vibrant culture, is positioning itself as the Caribbean’s Carnival capital. But tourism officials are not resting on their laurels. Acknowledging potential challenges, they are prioritizing resilience planning to future-proof the sector.
