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Jamaica is on track to welcome three million visitors by the end of the year, the Jamaica Tourist Board says, and arrivals and revenues are rebounding at a faster pace than expected despite Canada’s strict travel restrictions in early 2022.

Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, and Director of Tourism, Donovan White, travelled to Toronto, Ottawa, and Montréal this month to reinforce Jamaica’s strong ties with Canada during a series of important engagements with key tourism executives and industry stakeholders.

Minister Bartlett and Director White were joined by Angella Bennett, Jamaica Tourist Board Regional Director for Canada, for the four-day mission that took place from November 15 to 18.

The multi-city campaign included official launch parties for Jamaica’s new ‘Come Back’ marketing campaign, meetings with Canadian airlines and tour operators, discussion forums with investors and academic institutions, media interviews, and meetings with Canada’s top government officials.

“As Jamaica’s second-largest source market, Canada has played a critical role in our successful recovery,” said Minister Bartlett. “As we look ahead, we are focused on working with travel partners to increase airlift and launch new routes into the destination, exploring new investment and development opportunities, and building collaborative relationships to enhance the resilience and sustainability of the tourism sector across the globe.”

Jamaica’s signature hospitality was on full display as Minister Bartlett and Director White unveiled the destination’s ‘Come Back’ campaign at cocktail receptions in Toronto and Montréal.

Tour operators, travel agents, hotel partners, journalists, and Diaspora communities were invited to celebrate the official Canadian debut of Jamaica’s new marketing campaign, which invites travellers to come back to their best selves through vibrant promotional images and videos showcasing the island’s natural beauty and local talent.

On NOV. 16, the Jamaica Tourist Board and the Ministry of Tourism partnered with the Consulate-General of Jamaica and the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) to host the first-ever Jamaica Tourism Investment Forum in Toronto.

The exclusive event brought together more than 50 top-tier investors and representatives from the worlds of real estate, tourism, manufacturing, finance, and academia.

Minister Bartlett and Director White were joined on stage by fellow panelist Stephen Charoo, Consul for Trade and Investment Canada Region at JAMPRO, for an engaging conversation highlighting the many prospective opportunities for land development and real estate investment on the island.

Panelists discussed how conscious and holistic growth strategies are being employed to maintain an inclusive and sustainable tourism product.

Lincoln Downer, Consul General of Jamaica, served as the moderator for the forum.

The Jamaica delegation travelled to Canada’s capital city on November 17 to host a Resilience Forum at Carleton University.

Minister Bartlett and Director White met with Dr. Bettina Appel Kuzmarov, Associate Vice-President of Carleton University; Dr. Jean Charles Le Vallée, Canada Representative at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture; and Carleton graduate students to share insights on the importance of global travel and tourism resilience.

The group also discussed the establishment of an Ottawa location for the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre.

he Centre’s first Canadian satellite location opened in April 2022 at George Brown College in Toronto.

During his time in Ottawa, Minister Bartlett conducted in-person meetings with Canada’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Randy Boissonnault; Jamaica’s High Commissioner to Canada, Her Excellency Sharon Miller; and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maninder Sidhu.

The Jamaica delegation also hosted meetings in Toronto and Montréal to connect with executives from Canada’s major airlines and tour operators, including Air Canada Vacations, WestJet, Swoop, Sunwing, Air Transat, and Travelbrands.

“Jamaica is on a mission to recover and grow travel from Canada,” said Bennett. “Thanks to the ongoing efforts of the Jamaica Tourist Board and the support of our Canadian airline partners, we have secured 283,000 seats into Montego Bay and Kingston for the 2023 winter season, an increase of 26,000 more seats than 2019.”

Source PAX News