Jamaica is in the process of tourism recovery and is looking to expand its market to include the Asian market. In an exclusive interview with India Outbound at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, Edmund Bartlett, the Minister of Tourism, said he hopes to use the Middle East as a springboard to reach the Asian market. When asked what Jamaica’s objectives are in the Arabian Travel Market, Bartlett stated that Jamaica is looking at the Middle East Market as a gateway to reach Asia, especially India, North Africa, and Southeast Asia.
Jamaica, Bartlett commented is using this as an opportunity to engage the big countries of the GCC Qatar, Emirates, and Saudia. He noted Jamaica is very Strong in North America and developing in South America but nonexistent in the Asia market, which he hopes to change. He noted that the discussion with Emirates is not only a good opportunity for Jamaica, but for the entire Caribbean. It will have a ripple effect as they will have access to these travelers through Jamaica. Multi-destination tourism has also become a part of the conversation to ensure everyone in the Caribbean benefits from the deal. The first quarter of the 2022 tourism season, he contented, started off slow because of the Omicron variant, it eventually picked up in February and March they were seventy-eight percent of 2019 levels. The summer, he predicts will prosper because of summer travel from the US and Jamaica to sixty (60) celebrations that will see Jamaicans in the diaspora coming from all over to join the celebrations.
The United States he notes is the biggest contributor to the tourism market in Jamaica with a one-hundred and seventy-three (173) percent increase from the US market in the quarter so far. India, he notes, is the next big oyster for Jamaica, and is one of the major countries in Asia, Jamaica is trying to reach. Due to Jamaica's various offerings as a destination for weddings and families, he knows the Indians will gravitate to the country. He notes that while cruise tourism plays an important role in Jamaican offering, stop-over arrivals are at the heart of the sector. It is still essential, he notes, as it provides instant convertible capabilities for the ordinary man in the country. It is also used as an opportunity to convert from a cruise to a longer stay.
Source: Media India Group.
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