Scan the Internet for economic news coming out of Jamaica and you won't find much good news. Gross Domestic Product growth is declining, and Jamaica's treasury, like most treasuries, needs cash. Time for a travel tax.
Arriving airline passengers will pay a $60 arrival tax beginning Aug. 1, up from $40, and hotel guests beginning in September will pay an additional tax of up to $4 per room per night, depending on the size of the hotel. This is on top of an existing Gross Consumption Tax of 10%.
This is from a government that has been active in the campaign by Caribbean nations to roll back the U.K.'s tax on airline travel because it allegedly deters tourism.
Jamaica is a fabulous destination, and we wish it all the best. But its government cannot forget that its tourism industry is competing with Mexico, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and other destinations in the region. Consumers have choices. One of them is to go elsewhere. Another is to stay home.