Edmund Bartlett who is the Minister of Tourism of Jamaica has announced that this region would be welcoming an overwhelming number of at least two million cruise ship passengers by the year 2017. And, this figure would push the total tourist arrivals to a stunning four million.
He added that this would place the nation in the third position in this part of the world, just after the Dominican Republic and Mexico, in terms of the passenger arrivals.
Since the start of the year 2016, about 1.8 million cruise travellers have paid a visit to Jamaica that represents an increase from 1.5 million in 2015.
Bartlett said that the growth in the cruise sector in the last decade and also the impact on the Jamaican economy were the main topics that were discussed between the Prime Minister, Andrew Holness and himself with key cruise stakeholders. It was conducted in Miami that I located in Florida.
At an event in a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) interview, the minister said that his meeting with the key operational people, chief executive officers and cruise ship owners was productive.
He said that he was feeling really positive thanks to the things that have been discussed at the meeting.
Mr.Bartlett also said that there had been talks on expanding the cruise industry with the aid of increased passenger arrivals as well as the opening of additional ports. He then went on to add that the expansion of this industry would actually give rise to increased employment opportunities for Jamaicans and this would be done through providing supplies for ships that were docked at the ports and also ensure they get jobs onboard the vessels.
The minister said that the Tourism Linkages Council would soon be implementing measures from next year onwards.
