15 MAY 2019: Jamaica experienced the best winter season in its history, welcoming, in the first four months of the year, 1.7 million visitors, who spent US$1.25 billion. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism said that the tourism industry has achieved record growth in the last three consecutive years, which has surpassed “our aspirational average growth of five percent per annum”.

“In the first four months of the year, we have had double-digit growth every single month from January to April 30,” he said.

“Last year, we welcomed 4.23 million visitors who spent US$3.3 billion, representing 8.6 percent increase over the period 2017”.

Bartlett said this notable performance is against the background of the 2013 to 2015 period, during which Jamaica experienced an incremental growth of about 120,000 visitors. “In three months and one day, we have surpassed the 120,000 additional visitors to arrive in the country,” he emphasized.