Jamaica Bridal Expo: Boosting Wedding Tourism

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica – Promoting Jamaica as a ‘love destination,’ the Ministry of Tourism is seeking to increase the island’s share of the lucrative global wedding services market. This market is projected to reach US$368 billion by 2030.

US$368 Billion Wedding Market

Destination weddings are one of the fastest growing segments. They have increased by 40% in the last five years. Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, is seeking help from professional wedding planners. He says it is time for us to get a larger part of the US$368 billion. He wants weddings to double their current contribution to arrivals and earnings in Jamaica.

Minister Bartlett outlined that Jamaica is targeting 8 million visitors by 2030 and being “confident that we are well positioned so to do,” he expressed his belief that “this trend presents an unprecedented opportunity for our tourism sector to diversify and strengthen our economic foundation, while showcasing the natural beauty and cultural richness that make Jamaica truly special.”

At the recent Jamaica Bridal Expo, which lasted two days, Minister Bartlett talked to several groups. He spoke to bridal suppliers, travel advisors, tour operators, and trade media. He mentioned that their skills, creativity, and commitment to quality are important. These factors will determine how much the country benefits from the growing market.

“We recognize that success in the destination wedding market requires seamless collaboration … and this expo provides the perfect platform for forging those partnerships and creating the comprehensive packages that modern couples demand,” he told the attendees.

Bridal Expo

Minister Bartlett said the Bridal Expo was a celebration of love, the human intelligence that cannot be replicated by mechanical intelligence. This is “because love is born of emotion and only human beings, not machines, can have emotions.” He told the destination wedding promoters, “we want the world to know that Jamaica is the place where that vibe is. It is where that emotion is the strongest.”

Emphasizing that “we want to drive weddings as a major part of the offerings in Jamaica,” Mr. Bartlett told the bridal expo audience that like them, Jamaica was looking beyond their source market of North America and was going heavily into India, Central and South America.

Minister Bartlett promised that “Jamaica is going to develop an unmatched wedding advantage. We’ll be looking closer at how to incentivize that area. Additionally, we will look at how to provide more support for our partners who are in the wedding business.”