Gay Nagle Myers
The fourth quarter of 2022 or the first quarter of 2023.
"That's our prediction as to when Jamaica's international arrivals begin to traverse back to the 2019 arrival numbers, which topped 4.23 million international visitors," said Edmund Bartlett, minister of tourism.
"Tourism must get back on track," he said. "We all expect the industry will come back fully by 2023 or 2024. That's based on the return of all airlift, cruise passengers and normalcy regarding vaccine availability."
Bartlett was speaking to media at Japex Live 2020, the destination's annual trade show and conference, a joint project of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), designed to showcase, promote and sell the island's tourism product (Japex is short for Jamaica Product Exchange).
Japex registrations topped more than 2,000 buyer and supplier delegates, travel advisors and media representatives from a dozen countries. The 1,200-plus, prescheduled appointments took place over a two-day span.
Attendees explored Jamaica's six primary tourist regions, networked in delegate lounges, took a yoga class led by a Jamaican wellness instructor, participated in training sessions, attended breakout sessions, toured exhibitor booths and learned of product developments and strategies to attract visitors in 2021 and beyond.
However, at this year's Japex no participants arrived by air or booked a hotel room along the north coast or downed a Red Stripe at Scotchies, grabbed a cab in the Hip Strip district or chatted with locals in the markets.
Japex, for the first time in its 30-year history, was all virtual due to the pandemic, and it worked.
"The participation was phenomenal. It's the largest Japex ever," said Donovan White, director of tourism.
Visitor projections
Preliminary JTB figures indicated that since reopening on June 15, Jamaica recorded 211,000 visitors through September. Earnings during that period amounted to $231.9 million.
Pre-Covid, Jamaica was on track to record its 10th consecutive year of growth, with a forecast for five million visitors by the end of 2020.
"Covid shut us down for several months, Bartlett said. "Our expectations now are that we will see 30% to 40% of what we saw the year before in terms of arrivals. The uncertainty of source markets as spikes and second waves are upon us makes for significant challenges, but the appetite for travel is there. We will continue to prioritize health, safety and responsibility through our protocols and measures."
He reported that hotel occupancy rates are slowly inching up and projected a 40% increase in arrivals over the upcoming winter season compared with the preceding period of massive downturn.
"Some of our hotel properties have reported occupancy up to 60% through a combination of international and local guests, with numbers reaching nearly 90% around holiday weekends," he said.
Entry requirements
Jamaica's protocols to keep residents and visitors safe recently eliminated the requirement of uploading a negative PCR or antigen test result prior to departure.
However, either test must be done no more than 10 days before departure and the result presented at check-in at the departure airport.
The Jamaica Cares program, the country's mandatory travel insurance program, which includes Covid coverage, will take effect in December, the start of the winter travel season, "as soon as all loose ends are tied up," Bartlett said. The program costs $40 per person.
White credited the designation of the Resilient Corridors that stretch along both the north and south coasts as a "visionary achievement."
"More than 80% of Jamaica's prime tourism assets, including hotels, resorts and attractions, are within these corridors, designated as safe zones in terms of health standards for our visitors who can move within these corridors freely. They offer safe and seamless travel experiences. We have managed this area of reopening very well."
Investor interest in Jamaica remains high, according to Bartlett. "A lot of projects were in the planning stages pre-Covid," he said. "Some plans are now on hold, others are moving forward. We will have an inventory of 25,000 available rooms by 2023."