Jamaica Holiday Weekend Tourist Arrivals Record

Tourism in Jamaica seems to be going from strength to strength, despite adverse weather conditions and cancellation of flights operating in Europe and the North-Eastern United States.

According to the Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, in the three days, December 24, 25 and 26, the Sangster International Airport welcomed about 20,000 passengers not including Jamaican nationals.

The minister also informed that the island had seen an unprecedented growth in visitors amounting to 10.6 per cent increase over the same period last year, bringing the total number of visitors since the start of the tourist season on December 15 to 70,000.

In his words, “these numbers are positioning the month of December to be the largest in the history of the island's tourist industry."

He felt that these numbers were all the more heartening given the unrest in West Kingston earlier in the year. However, after a temporary set back, tourism in Jamaica was back on track from July onwards when the surge in numbers began. Ever since, it has maintained its growth trajectory.

Meanwhile American Airlines and other carriers have increased airlift capacity to Jamaica given the increasing demand by huge numbers of visitors flocking to the island to escape the cold climes back home.

Jamaican rental communities like Silver Sands Villas, Jamaica are witnessing a huge rise in bookings and enquiries and they are optimistic that the numbers would go up once the Falmouth pier becomes operational in January 2011.