Jamaica is strategically positioning itself to capture a larger share of the global tourist market by expanding its traditional appeal and venturing into new areas of visitor interest. The island nation is aiming to meet ambitious growth targets, emphasizing innovation, local involvement, and a diversified approach to tourism.
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has declared 2025 a “seminal year” for the industry, signaling a renewed focus on strategic development. Jamaica is on track to achieve its “5x5x5” strategy, targeting five million visitors and US$5 billion in tourism earnings by the end of 2025. The country is now setting its sights even higher, planning new targets to drive growth through 2030, with an ultimate vision to welcome eight million visitors and generate US$10 billion annually within the next five years.
Expanding Traditional and Emerging ‘Passion Points’
The core of Jamaica’s evolving tourism strategy lies in developing products around visitor “passion points” – the core reasons people choose to travel. While traditional attractions remain vital, the country is actively exploring and developing new sectors. These emerging areas include health and wellness tourism, sports tourism, and faith-based tourism. The development of these new segments, however, is noted to be dependent on further infrastructure investment.
Diversifying Market Reach
Jamaica is diligently working to deepen its engagement in traditional markets such as the United States, Canada, and the UK, while simultaneously expanding its presence in non-traditional markets. Significant growth has already been observed in regions like Asia and Latin America. The Caribbean island has seen a notable increase in arrivals from Latin America, with airlines like Copa Airlines and LATAM Airlines enhancing connectivity, and charter services resuming. As of mid-2025, the country was on track to reach its goal of welcoming one million tourists from Latin America by the end of the year.
Infrastructure Development for Future Growth
To accommodate the projected increase in tourist traffic and support its ambitious growth plans, Jamaica is investing significantly in infrastructure development. A major undertaking includes the construction of a new US$750 million passenger terminal at Sangster International Airport (SIA) in Montego Bay. This expansion is designed to support a near-tripling of visitor arrivals at SIA over the next decade, with the new terminal planned to handle up to 15 million passengers annually. Beyond airport enhancements, the island is also undertaking significant road network expansions to reduce travel times between ports of entry and resort towns, ensuring visitors can reach their destinations efficiently.
JAPEX 2025: A Platform for Global Engagement
The Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) 2025 conference, held in Montego Bay, serves as a crucial platform for these strategic discussions. The event brings together local tourism suppliers with international buyers and stakeholders from around the globe, fostering business connections and opportunities for product development. This year’s JAPEX welcomed 160 global buyers from diverse regions, underscoring Jamaica’s expanding international appeal and commitment to global partnership.
‘Local First’ Approach for Inclusive Growth
Alongside market expansion and product diversification, Jamaica is championing a “local first” approach. The strategy aims to ensure that Jamaicans benefit more directly from the lucrative tourism industry, fostering inclusive growth and deeper involvement in the tourism value chain. This involves developing new policies and legislative arrangements to empower local stakeholders and communities, ensuring that tourism works more effectively for the people of Jamaica. The country’s tourism sector is a vital economic driver, contributing significantly to GDP and employment, and this new approach seeks to amplify those benefits.
Jamaica’s forward-looking tourism strategy, characterized by innovation, market diversification, infrastructure investment, and a commitment to local benefit, positions it for continued success in the competitive global travel market. The focus on new “passion points” and broader market engagement, coupled with enhancements to its tourism product, signals Jamaica’s determination to secure a greater share of international tourism.