Jamaica receives 55,000 tourists from July 4 to 10 – Jamaica Information Services

Jamaica welcomed 55,000 tourists between July 4 and 10, marking the beginning of the island’s tourism recovery after Hurricane Beryl.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett made the announcement on July 11 during his speech at the opening of the Christmas in July trade show.

The trade show, now in its tenth year, will be held at the National Stadium from July 11 to 12. A total of 205 artisans will participate this year.

Minister Bartlett said there were no tourists on the island on July 2 and 3. He said the island will start receiving tourists again on July 4.

Over a six-day period, that number increased.

“That’s what resilience is about, you can say … 80 percent of our resources are intact, so you can come, and they come because they have faith in our commitment, because they believe in the integrity of that commitment,” he said.

The Minister noted that the sustainable development plan for the industry is based on several key strategies, including training and development, upgrading skills, expanding the range of production of authentic Jamaican goods and services, expanding credit and debt facilities, and marketing and building networks for entrepreneurs in the industry.

Mr Bartlett added that Jamaica has long attracted large numbers of tourists not only because of its natural resources, but also because the artisan community is an important part of the island’s tourism product.

He stressed that small and medium enterprises in the tourism ecosystem are key to driving the future of tourism and praised the initiative of the event organizer Tourism Connection Network.

He said: “I want to thank you all for working with us over the past 10 years to make Christmas in July an exciting and expanded opportunity for our small and medium-sized enterprises.”

Christmas in July is a joint effort of the Tourism Connections Network, a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), and its partners the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), the Jamaica Hotel and Tourism Association (JHTA), the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) and the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA).