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Record arrivals mark start of winter season
Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer 
Cummings
WESTERN BUREAU:
While airports throughout the United States stood on ‘red alert’ last weekend, Jamaica’s Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St James, was enjoying record arrival numbers.
Some 20,629 passengers flew into the tourist Mecca, Christmas Day being one of the busiest with a record number of 44 flights. Combining Saturday and Sunday’s numbers, there was an increase of 13.2 per cent over 2008, says Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett.
“It’s a good start to the winter tourist season,” boasted Bartlett as he revealed a figure of 38,000, a reflection of the number of passengers that passed through the airport two weekends back to back.
‘Recession-proof’ tourism
“What this indicates is, if you strategically plan and follow with programmed activities, you can get the results even in a recession,” he said.
For the tourism executive, the challenge he says now is to make Jamaica’s tourism “recession proof” by diversifying the markets on which it now depends.
Pointing to a three-pronged approach to this latest thrust, he said: “One of the ways is to drive greater efficiencies using new technology and to ensure cost effectiveness so as to improve competitiveness in the marketplace.”
In the same breath, he said, his energies would be concentrated on bringing in new investments not only in the accommodations sector, but also in the attractions area “since the market is influenced by the experiences which the destination offers”.
His optimism continued days after he told The Gleaner he was projecting a five per cent increase in stopover visitors this winter tourist season over last year’s figures.
Two per cent growth
The industry reported a two per cent growth last winter, while the rest of the region, except for Cuba and the Dominican Republic, saw little or no growth.
“The airlift is greater than ever and, projected even at a 70 per cent load factor, this would mean improvement over last year,” he told The Gleaner.
Bartlett’s private-sector partners, including president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association Wayne Cummings, concurred that the bookings were relatively strong.
“We are projected to continue to perform at the same growth levels currently being experienced,” Cummings said.
He added: “This is firmly based on the fact that the public- and private-sector marketing programme has been consistent and effective to drive the national arrivals.”
Cummings noted that he feels the country could not be doing any better in this “recession market”. (Jamaica Gleaner)