Jamaica Experiencing Impressive Start To The Year
Apr 17, 2019
ONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA – April 16, 2019 – Jamaica’s tourism sector is experiencing an unprecedented start to the year with record breaking arrival figures and earnings. In just nine weeks since the beginning of 2019, Jamaica has become the first Caribbean destination to welcome one million visitors during the period, generating foreign exchange earnings of approximately US$800 million.
“Jamaica continues to make an aggressive push in transforming the way we market the destination and we have been seeing the dividends,” said Donovan White, Jamaica’s Director of Tourism. “While the March numbers are still preliminary, we are pleased to have achieved this milestone so early in 2019. A big thanks to our various travel partners who have been selling Jamaica and helping us sustain this positive growth.”
The destination started the year on a high copping a number of notable industry awards. Most recently as the #14 Best Destination of the World and #1 Best Destination in the Caribbean, by 2019 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice® awards. Additionally, Negril’s Seven Mile Beach was ranked fifth out of 25 for the Best Beach in the Caribbean and tenth out of 25 in the World.
Earlier in the year, Jamaica captured four gold awards at the Travvy Awards: Best Tourism Board, Best Culinary Destination, Best Wedding Destination and Best Honeymoon Destination. This was followed by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Adrian Awards where the Jamaica Tourist Board and Expedia Group Media Solutions won a Silver Adrian Award for the Find Your Vibe Campaign in the Digital Marketing/Website User Experience category. Jamaica also won the Bronze Adrian for Integrated Marketing for Join Me in Jamaica. At the Caribbean & North America edition of the World Travel Awards, Jamaica took home a total of 24 awards. Among the awards received by the Jamaica Tourist Board: Leading Caribbean Destination, Leading Caribbean Cruise Destination and for the 13th year in a row, the Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board. In March, during ITB Berlin, the awards continued to pour in when the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) selected Jamaica as Destination of the Year.
For more information on Jamaica, go to www.visitjamaica.com.
About Jamaica Tourist Board 
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), founded in 1955, is Jamaica’s national tourism agency based in the capital city of Kingston. JTB offices are also located in Montego Bay, Miami, Toronto and London. Representative offices are located in Berlin, Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam and Mumbai.  
TripAdvisor® ranked Jamaica as the #1 Caribbean Destination and #14 Best Destination in the World in 2019. Also this year, the International Council of the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) named Jamaica the Destination of the Year and TravAlliance Media named JTB Best Tourism Board, and Jamaica as Best Culinary Destination, Best Wedding Destination and Best Honeymoon Destination. Additionally, the JTB has been declared the Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board by the World Travel Awards (WTA) for thirteen consecutive years between 2006 and 2019. Jamaica also earned the WTA’s award for the Caribbean’s Leading Destination, Leading Cruise Destination and Leading Meetings & Conference Centre 2018 for the Montego Bay Convention Centre. Jamaica is home to some of the world’s best accommodations, attractions and service providers that have won several awards throughout the years.
For details on upcoming special events, attractions and accommodations in Jamaica go to the JTB’s Web site at www.visitjamaica.com or call the Jamaica Tourist Board at 1-800-JAMAICA (1-800-526-2422).  Follow the JTB on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube. View the JTB blog at www.islandbuzzjamaica.com.
