Jamaica celebrates record-breaking visitor arrivals in 2017

The tropical island of Jamaica celebrated record-breaking visitor arrivals in 2017, according to provisional data from the Jamaica Tourism Board (JTB). The Caribbean nation welcomed 4.3 million tourists last year, which represents a 21.1 percent increase in arrivals compared to 2016, and revenue flow was recorded at approximately US$3 billion in 2017.

The island nation of Jamaica is celebrating record-breaking tourism numbers. The country recorded 4.3 million tourists in 2017, according to provisional data from the Jamaica Tourism Board (JTB).

Tourism Minister of Jamaica, Hon. Edmund Bartlett spoke at the official opening of the Knutsford Express bus service depot at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay last week. He said that visitor arrivals to the Caribbean island last year increased by 21.1 per cent compared to numbers in 2016.

Mr Bartlett, commented:

"We broke the four million mark in December and by the end of (the month) we had gone to 4.3 million arrivals. This figure comprised 2,353,461 stopover arrivals and 1,946,780 cruise passengers, providing a revenue flow of approximately US$3 billion."

Mr Bartlett also explained:

“it is the first time that...we brought more than 500,000 additional visitors in a single calendar year."

Mr Bartlett was also recently named as the Caribbean Tourism Minister of the year in the Caribbean Travel Awards 2017. The tourism minister has spent 35 years working in Jamaica’s political sector. He also represents Jamaica across the world, and he chairs the Board of Affiliate Members of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean that is one of the region’s most popular tourist destinations. The island’s white sand, palm-fringed beaches, turquoise sea, soaring mountains and jungle attracts families, couples, friends and solo travellers throughout the year. With nearly all-year-round sunshine and a tropical climate, the island is a hotspot for tourists from all over the globe, and it boast luxury beachfront resorts, boutique hotels, family-run B&Bs, and self-catering apartments.

Popular tourist attractions for visitors include the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston, Dunn’s River Falls, Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, Dolphin Cove, Green Grotto Caves, James Bond Beach, the Enchanted Gardens, Rose Hall, Kool Runnings Water Park and Shaw Park Botanical Gardens.

The island’s most popular tourist regions and resorts include Ocho Rios on the north coast of the Jamaica, with its own cruise harbour, waterfalls, idyllic beaches, and charming town; Montego Bay with its cruise ship port, golf courses, sweeping white sand beaches and thriving coral reefs; and Negril with its famous Seven Mile Beach, art galleries, adventure parks and beaches. The capital Kingston is also a popular destination, and holidaymakers can visit Bob Marley’s former home, Botanical gardens and Zoo, and the nearby Blue Mountains.