Bartlett predicts full recovery for tourist arrivals by 2023
Published:Tuesday | April 5, 2022 | 6:17 PM
Janet Silvera/Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett is predicting a return to the 2019 figures come 2023 with an estimated 4.1 million visitors — 1.6 million via cruise ships and 2.5 million stopovers.
This will mean about US$4.2 billion in revenues.
Bartlett, making his contribution to the Sectoral Debates Tuesday said Jamaica expects to close in 2022 with total visitor arrivals of 2.92 million and a revenue of US$3.58 billion.
Now at 72 per cent of the 2019 figures Jamaica has so far welcomed 925,000 stopover visitors, earning some $1.17 billion in revenue.
The country is inching up to full recovery, said Bartlett.
He described the future of tourism as bright saying the April 15 removal of the entry requirements as part of the COVID containment will strengthen Jamaica's appeal as a travel destination.
In 2020, Jamaica's economy declined by 10.2 per cent and the hotels and restaurants industry declined by 53.5 per cent.
Tourism ended the year with an estimated loss of US$2.3 billion.
In 2021, although the fallout was not as great, the estimated tourism losses were a staggering US$1.6 billion, Bartlett said.
Meanwhile, Bartlett has unveiled a raft of projects including the rehabilitation of 11 beaches for access by locals.
He has also announced a new resilience and sustainability framework, aimed at implementing policies in water sports, climate change and multi-hazard contingency programme.
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