ST JAMES, Jamaica— Jamaica is now the leading destination in the Caribbean for UK travellers, with 2022 visitor arrivals surpassing previous records.

“We are very happy that Jamaica is the top Caribbean destination of choice for travellers from the UK and would like to thank all our industry partners for their continuous support and faith in our beautiful island,” said Elizabeth Fox, Jamaica Tourism Board Regional director, UK & Northern Europe.

Jamaica’s tourism recovery plan has led to historic levels from the UK market, highlighting the island’s unique culture, cuisine, music, breathtaking nature, and wellness offerings in an environmentally sustainable way.

The Caribbean destination is easily accessible from the UK, with daily direct flights on Virgin Atlantic Airways from London Heathrow launched in December 2022, British Airways from London Gatwick and TUI from Birmingham, London Gatwick and Manchester.

“As we look ahead, our team has an exciting line-up of plans for 2023 and is confident that we can continue to grow our destination favourability among UK travellers in 2023. Our campaign this year is ‘Come Back to Jamaica’, come back to relax, come back to adventure, come back to romance, and the Brits certainly continue to do so,” Fox said.

In anticipation of further growth, Jamaica is growing its room offering to another 8,500 rooms by 2025. New hotel openings will include Hard Rock Hotel, RIU, Dreams, Secrets, Planet Hollywood, Viva Wyndham, UNICO and Princess.

“We are working on our most ambitious tourism development and expansion plan in Jamaica’s history to meet the continued demand and interest in our beautiful island,” said Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett.

Bartlett is currently in attendance at the International Tourism Trade Fair (FITUR), being held in Madrid, Spain, from January 18 to 22. He is accompanied by senior tourism strategist, Delano Seiveright and Director of Tourism, Donovan White.

Minister Bartlett will also meet with several global tourism investors and executives in a bid to further boost the development of the sector.

FITUR, one of the most highly anticipated events on the annual travel trade calendar, is the global meeting point for tourism professionals and the leading trade fair for inbound and outbound markets in Latin America.

The event has attracted over 100,000 participants from over 70 countries.