Visitors relaxing on the beach of Sandals Montego Bay recently. - Patrick Campbell/Freelance Photographer JAMAICA HAD more than 1.34 million stop-over tourist arrivals last year, according to preliminary figures from the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB).
Final figures for December will not be available for another two to three weeks, but Paul Pennicook, Director of Tourism, said a preliminary count shows December arrivals superseding the level for 2002. Added to the confirmed arrivals figure up to November of 1.21 million, the December arrivals in excess of 123,820 would push overall arrivals last year to a new historic high.
A GOOD END
"We have had a good end to the year," Mr. Pennicook said. "If these numbers hold we will do 1.34 million arrivals for 2003."
The 2003 arrivals figure is set to top the 1.33 million stop-overs in 2000 along with the 1.23 million in 2001 and 1.27 million in 2002.
In the January to November period of last year, Jamaica hosted 1.21 million stop-over visitors, according to the Jamaica Tourist Board. This was a 6.1 per cent increase over the 2002 level, 3.6 per cent above the 2001 level and a marginal 0.4 per cent above the 2000 level. With the estimated ten per cent growth in December, the industry should also come near to approaching the seven per cent growth target set for 2003, the director said.
"This was our best year yet and the JTB remains bullish about the prospects for the industry," Mr. Pennicook said. The Tourist Board has targeted an industry growth of seven per cent for 2004.
Total tourist arrivals is different from stop-over arrivals. But stop-overs, visitors staying more than a day in the country, represent the bulk of industry spending. Jamaica had its best year in tourism earnings and arrivals in 2000. But civil unrest followed by the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, Jamaica's main market, dealt the industry a severe blow in 2001.
