Expanding Jamaica’s Tourism Market: India Takes Center Stage
Jamaica, one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, has been making efforts to diversify its tourism market. Its Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, has been spearheading a renewed campaign to attract visitors from other countries. Bartlett has set his sights on India, the world’s second-most populous country, and sees it as a potential goldmine for the Jamaican tourism industry.
India has a growing middle and upper-middle class, which is rapidly expanding. The country’s cricket craze and its enthusiasm for weddings present a huge market for Jamaica’s tourism industry. Furthermore, improved flight connectivity and an active Indian community in Jamaica are other factors that will drive growth in this potentially lucrative market.
Bartlett’s efforts to expand Jamaica’s tourism market recently brought him to Dubai, where he attended the Arabian Travel Market, the largest tourism tradeshow in the Middle East. He was accompanied by Donovan White, Director of Tourism, and Delano Seiveright, Senior Advisor and Strategist in the Ministry of Tourism. Bartlett’s Dubai itinerary included a series of meetings with top government and private sector leaders as well as investors.
Jamaica has historically received the bulk of its visitors from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. However, the Ministry of Tourism and the Jamaica Tourist Board are now focusing on rebuilding the South American tourist markets, with a specific focus on Chile, Argentina, Colombia, and Peru. Additionally, the Indian and Middle Eastern markets are being targeted for new market growth.
Bartlett’s ministry has been making significant gains in South America, with new nonstop flights by South America’s largest air carrier, LATAM, between Lima, Peru and Montego Bay, Jamaica, as well as up to 11 weekly flights between Panama City and Jamaica by COPA. However, the pandemic has slowed down the progress made in South America, and Bartlett has mandated his team to re-engage in new market growth efforts.
Bartlett’s efforts to diversify Jamaica’s tourism market by targeting India and other countries are commendable. The Indian market, in particular, presents significant potential for Jamaica’s tourism industry, and it will be interesting to see how these efforts play out in the coming years. Jamaica is definitely a country to watch in the world of tourism.
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