Jamaica projects more than 4.5 million visitors by 2025, consolidating its tourism leadership in the Caribbean

Speaking at the Caribbean Travel Marketplace in Antigua and Barbuda, Philip Rose, Deputy Director of Tourism for the Americas, highlighted that in 2024, Jamaica welcomed 2.9 million overnight visitors and 1.2 million cruise passengers. By 2025, this increase is expected to reach more than 3 million overnight visitors and 1.4 million cruise passengers. The goal for 2026 is to reach 3.4 million overnight visitors and 1.6 million cruise passengers, generating revenues of $5 billion, in line with the growth strategy of Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett.

Rose emphasized that the primary focus is ensuring that tourism directly benefits the local population: "While we celebrate the numbers, at the heart of our efforts are the people: the jerk chicken vendor, the market trader, the bellboy. Tourism should benefit our people."

To facilitate this growth, Jamaica has increased its air capacity, expecting 1.4 million seats by the summer of 2025, a 9% increase over the previous year. New routes include American Airlines flights from Miami to Ian Fleming International Airport in St. Mary's, Avelo Airlines services from Raleigh-Durham and Connecticut to Montego Bay, Caribbean Airlines from Fort Lauderdale to Kingston and Montego Bay, and LATAM from Lima, Peru, to Montego Bay three times weekly.

In terms of accommodations, the country is experiencing an unprecedented wave of investment. The 2,000-room Princess Grand Jamaica opened in 2024 and will house the island's first casino. Other developments include the RIU Palace Aquarelle, opening in May 2024, a Unico Hotel planned for December 2025, a Dreams Resort in Montego Freeport, a Planet Hollywood, a Royalton Resort, and a Vista Ambassadors in Montego Bay.

With these initiatives, Jamaica not only seeks to increase its tourism figures, but also to ensure that the sector's growth translates into tangible benefits for its citizens, consolidating its position as a leader in sustainable and inclusive tourism in the region.