Jamaica’s Tourism earns US$1.4 billion for July to September quarter

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The country recorded earnings of just over US$1.4 billion from stop over and cruise ship visitor arrivals for the July to September quarter this year, representing a 2.2 per cent increase over the corresponding period last year.

Speaking at a media briefing at his New Kingston offices, on Tuesday November 30, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett pointed out that the earnings were generated from increases of 19.3 per cent in cruise ship and 3.7 per cent stop over arrivals during the period.

Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, addressing journalists at a media briefing at the Ministry’s New Kingston offices, on November 30.
Mr. Bartlett told journalists that the sector recorded an overall 7.7 per cent increase in stop over and cruise ship arrivals for the third quarter, relative to the corresponding period last year, citing the growth as the best performance for any period recorded by the sector over the last five years.

Alluding to recent figures released by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), which he said suggested an overall 2.2 per cent growth, the Minister explained that the PIOJ’s report “takes into account restaurants and other factors in the service industry that impinge on tourism,” as against the Ministry’s focus on stop over and cruise ship arrivals.

Mr. Bartlett credited the third quarter performance to industry stakeholders whom he said “have gone out there and have really worked very hard”. He made special mention of Tourism Director, John Lynch and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), for their efforts in the “tremendous recovery programme” that followed the civil unrest in sections of downtown Kingston in May.

The programme primarily entailed a major advertising and marketing campaign undertaken in the prime North American and European markets between late May and June.

“One of the reasons why we are really so bullish about the performance is that it came immediately after one of our largest endogenous shocks that we have had in recent time; When the world was looking on and saying ‘Jamaica couldn’t do it’,” the Minister said.

Mr. Bartlett pointed out that the country managed to emerge from that period with the strength that enabled it to record the best ever performance in a single month, in July.

“Indeed, it was the best month, in terms of arrivals that the country has ever seen in tourism, where we welcomed 204,000 stop over visitors. That process continued with 4.5 per cent growth in August, and September has also shown growth. The final figures for September are yet to come, but the preliminary figure is indicating that we had small growth, but growth none the less. So, we have had three consecutive months of immediate post-West Kingston growth, and good growth,” he explained.

Pointing out that the figures recorded for the quarter were not a “blip,” Mr. Bartlett informed that preliminary figures for October stop over and cruise ship arrivals also reflected growth, with each recording 4.6 per cent and 3.3 per cent, respectively.

“What we are seeing, therefore, is the culmination of strategies and careful husbanding of a sector that is so important to us, showing growth, and also indicating what we in tourism know, over time, which is the resilience of tourism, and its ability to bounce back quickly after adversity,” he contended.

Cases which the Minister highlighted, included the periods following the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS); 9/11 in the United States; and the global recession.

Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (centre),fields questions from journalists during a media briefing at Ministry’s New Kingston offices, on November 30, where he provided an update on the sector’s performance. Flanking the Minister are the Ministry’s Director General, Carolle Guntley (left), and Permanent Secretary, Jennifer Griffith.
“We have developed a recession-proof industry. We have gone through 2008 with growth, 2009 with the best growth in the region, and 2010, we are solidly on a growth path to end the year. We are projecting, somewhere around four per cent, which is very, very good, having regard to what we went through during this year,” he said.

Noting that the sector recorded 9.3 per cent growth during the 2009 winter tourist season, Mr. Bartlett cautioned against similar expectations this year, heading into the October to December period, when the season gets underway. He indicated, however, that the numbers are expected to be “much stronger,” than those recorded in the July to September period.