Jamaica: Tourism industry thriving back with 55,000 visitors in Early July

Jamaica thriving with foreign population again after the Hurricane Beryl caused a discontinuation in the tourism sector. The Island welcomed around 55,000 visitors from July 4 to July 10, indicating recovery in the tourism industry.

Due to the prevailing situations and restrictions regarding Beryl, the nation did not receive any visitors till the third day of July. But from July 4, the island again started witnessing the arrival of visitors that kept increasing later.

Tourism Minister of Jamaica, Edmund Bartlett, disclosed the facts while addressing the media during the opening ceremony of the Christmas in July Trade Show, on July 11. The Trade Show started on July 11 and will continue on July 12 too.

He expressed that the visitors started arriving on July 4 and after that, the number of visitors kept increasing for a period of the next six days. He said that about 80 percent of the island’s resources are intact. A total of 205 artisans are to be staged in the Trade Show.

He claimed that the visitors were there to visit the nation having confidence in the promise made by the administration, a result of the integrity of their promise. Further adding that Jamaica’s long history of attracting record number of visitors to the island nation goes far beyond just its natural resources.

Bartlett highlighted that the artisanal community of the island is an irreplaceable and valuable part of the nation’s tourism industry. He did focus on the fact that the small and mid-cap enterprises involved in the ecosystem of tourism, play a crucial role in driving the future of the industry.

He appreciated the event organisers, the Network for Tourism Linkages, and the locals for the initiatives. He stated,” I want to thank all of you for the work that you have done with us in 10 years to make the Christmas in July the exciting and expanded opportunity that is now here for our small and medium enterprises.”

The Christmas in July is a sum of all the efforts put together by the Tourism Linkages Network, the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) and its partners, the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) and the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO).