Jamaica has secured its place as the Caribbean’s most connected destination, achieving record-breaking global linkages and advancing its ambitious vision for inclusive and sustainable tourism growth.
With year-end arrivals projected at 4.5 million visitors, comprising 3.1 million stopovers and 1.4 million cruise passengers, the island now boasts direct connections to over 55 international gateways, setting a new regional benchmark. In acknowledging the feat, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett highlighted that Jamaica’s growing air bridge is being led by historic investments that are reshaping Jamaica’s tourism backbone, including the US$274 million Montego Bay Perimeter Road, now 60% complete, along with the expansion of the North Coast Highway.
All these investments, he noted, will ease congestion, open new commercial corridors, and strengthen access to premier destinations such as Montego Bay and Ocho Rios.
Speaking at the Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) 2025 media breakfast this week, Bartlett noted that Jamaica’s tourism inclusivity agenda continues to expand with over 20,000 workers certified through the Jamaica Centre for Tourism Innovation, the Tourism Workers Pension Scheme growing consistently, and the Destination Assurance Framework & Strategy ensuring quality and safety across the sector.
Jamaica’s rapid expansion in airlift
According to the minister, “Jamaica’s rapid expansion in airlift is more than just a milestone for tourism; it’s a catalyst for national transformation. With every new flight, every new road, and every trained worker, we’re building a tourism industry that reflects Jamaica’s spirit, vibrant, world-class, and committed to shared success.”
Bartlett, Jamaica’s longest-serving tourism minister, has overseen a period of unprecedented expansion. In 2024, Jamaica welcomed 2.9 million stopover visitors and 1.25 million cruise passengers, generating US$4.3 billion in earnings, achievements that cemented tourism as the backbone of the economy.
Preliminary figures suggest 2025 is already on pace to surpass previous milestones, underscoring the sector’s resilience and global competitiveness. Minister Edmund Bartlett has revealed that newly appointed State Minister Tova Hamilton will concentrate on cruise tourism and tourism regulations, among other duties.
“Just for the record, she will begin with a focus on cruise tourism and the legal, regulatory and legislative arrangements for tourism, looking heavily at tourism ethics, destination assurance and all those elements that enable us to have a framework for meaningful interaction between visitors and locals alike,” Bartlett announced.
For her part, Hamilton, an attorney-at-law, pledged to work closely with Minister Bartlett to strengthen and modernise Jamaica’s tourism sector.