JAMAICA PRODUCT EXCHANGE (JAPEX) IS ACTION CENTRAL FOR TOURISM MOVERS AND SHAKERS
A Robust Year Ahead for Jamaica Tourism
Melanie Reffes
Special Correspondent
Montego Bay, Sept. 2023: For the first-time post-pandemic, JAPEX (Jamaica Product Exchange ) returned to the Montego Bay Convention Centre. The Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association’s premier trade event, JAPEX is the single most important business generator for the island’s tourism industry. In two days of pre-scheduled appointments, wholesalers, tour operators and travel agents met with Jamaica’s tourism suppliers, government officials and other movers and shakers inking in strategic deals. Since its 1990 inception, The Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) is presented by The Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) in association with the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB). www.japex.org/
With a target in sight of earning US$4.1 billion in tourism revenue, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett noted tourism is on a roll. “We are about to have the best year in the history of tourism in Jamaica for stopover arrivals in 2023 ,” he told the island’s tourism partners at the opening event held at Chukka Outpost on the Sandy Bay coastline, “Jamaica today boasts that it is the number one destination in the entire English-speaking Caribbean and arguably in the entire Americas, thank you,” he added at the opening event, noting that this had been achieved because of their “ confidence, continued support and commitment to Jamaica. “ With tourism growth the consistent theme, Tourism Minister Bartlett added, “next year alone we’ll be having 2,000 new rooms for you to sell when you go back to your destinations, there will also be new attractions with Jamaica committed to safety, security and seamlessness. “ www.visitjamaica.com/
Top Spot
“ We are on track for our forecast which is to welcome 5 million visitors to our island by 2025 with airline partner confidence strong,” said Donovan White, Director Tourism, “ Festivals continue to entice visitors like Treasure Beach Food , Rum and Reggae Festival, Jamaica Food and Drink Festival and Annie’s Revenge Golf Tournament in Nov. The Rum Festival in Dec. is a must-attend for fans of rummy sips and snacks. February is Reggae Month , Blue Mountain Coffee Festival invites in March and Carnival is irie, mon in April.
Jamaica scored big at the 2023 World Travel Awards Caribbean including recognition as the Caribbean’s Leading Destination for the 17th consecutive year . Sweetening pot, Jamaica Tourist Board was named the Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board for the 15th year in a row and the island was named the Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Destination 2023, with the Port of Falmouth the Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Port 2023 and the Port of Montego Bay the Caribbean’s Leading Home Port 2023. In celebrating the achievement , Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett noted, “there’s always a strong sense of joy and pride that comes when you see the dedication of the tourism team being recognised and rewarded internationally. To see Jamaica consistently perform so well is a clear indication of our commitment to excellence.”
A Natural High
Additional airline seats to the island include 140,000 from the U.S. starting in the fall. This represents a 19% growth over the same period in 2022 and an 18% growth over 2019. “This added capacity is a testament to the appeal of the island’s tourism product as well as the excellent relationships we enjoy with our U.S. airline partners,” said Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism. “They clearly have confidence that we can fill these seats as we are now surpassing 2019 stopover arrivals and on track for a full recovery in those annual figures for 2023.” The most significant increases in inbound seats year-over-year for the fall period can be attributed to: American Airlines’ extended service from Dallas and Chicago as well as additional frequencies from Charlotte; United Airlines’ extended service from Chicago; additional frequency from New Jersey and new service from Denver; and Southwest Airlines’ additional frequencies from Baltimore and Orlando plus new service from Kansas City. “As we return tourism arrivals to growth, new routes, larger planes and more available seats from our valued airline partners are critical to achieving that goal,” said Donovan White, Director of Tourism, Jamaica Tourist Board.
New flights include United Airlines service from Denver International Airport (DEN) to Sangster International Airport (MBJ) in Montego Bay starting on Nov. 4. “We are very pleased to expand our partnership with United with the launch of this new non-stop flight from the legacy carrier’s Denver hub,” said Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, “the mile-high city is one of the fastest growing in the U.S. so it represents a top target market in the west and supports the strong rebound of Jamaica’s tourism sector as our visitor arrivals numbers are returning to growth over 2019 levels.” Donovan White, Director of Tourism, Jamaica Tourist Board, added, “to welcome another non-stop flight to our island by United, the most-flown airline operating out of Denver, is very gratifying. It is an important addition to Jamaica’s existing air service that provides U.S. travelers with yet another convenient option to get to the island for their next business or leisure trip.” With the addition of this new service, the carrier will now serve 5 routes from the U.S. to Jamaica, complementing its existing non-stop service from Newark (EWR), Washington D.C. (IAD), Chicago (ORD), and Houston (HOU) to Montego Bay (MBJ).
From Canada, Canada Jetlines launches a winter flight schedule from Toronto to Montego Bay beginning this fall. “This move highlights Canadians’ growing confidence in our tourism offerings and their ongoing enthusiasm for the destination, ” said Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism. Starting Nov. 5, 2023, the Canadian airline will offer weekend flights. Starting in January 2024, service will increase to 3 flights per week. www.jetlines.com/
